Srinagar: A Pakistani militant of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was killed in a brief shootout in Hazratbal area here on Thursday while two others managed to flee, police said.
According to the police, the trio tried to snatch weapons from the guard posted at the Hazratbal shrine on the banks of the famous Dal Lake.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said one of the militants was a Pakistani and termed his killing a “big success”.
The provincial police chief said three militants reached Hazratbal shrine late afternoon and attempted to snatch service rifle of a policeman guarding the shrine. However, the police party fired upon the assailants in which one foreign militant was killed on the spot while two others managed to escape, he said.
The slain militant has been identified as Manzoor alias Haider alias Hamza from Pakistan, who according to IGP Kashmir was active in Srinagar for the last six months. He was affiliated with militant outfit The Resistance Front (TRF).
“A TRF commander from Pakistan was killed in a shootout after the latter along with two of his accomplices reached Hazratbal shrine and attempted to snatch service rifle of a policeman. On seeing a police party approaching them, he took out his pistol and opened fire which was accordingly retaliated resulting in his on-spot death. Two others however managed to escape,” IGP Kashmir told reporters outside Hazratbal shrine, adding the slain militant was constantly being tracked by the police.
“He (slain militant) was an associate of top LeT/TRF commander Mehran. His killing is a big success,” the IGP said.
He said the two militants on the run are also being tracked by the police using CCTV cameras installed along the roads.
Kumar said Manzoor was active in Srinagar for the past six months. He was involved in several killings. A video in which he talked about attacking senior officials had gone viral.
On the two militants who fled, the IGP said, “We are tracking them. We hope to neutralise them soon.”
Kumar said the militants were “trying to use religious places to take shelter and stir emotions to create a law and order issue”.
“His (the Pakistani militant’s) aim was to enter the mosque, engage with the security forces, spread news and stir religious sentiments of the people and create a law and order problem. But we will not let them (militants) succeed in that,” the IGP said.
Meanwhile, two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of south Kashmir on Thursday, police said.
Acting on specific inputs about the presence of militants in Naina Batpora area of the south Kashmir district, police together with the troops of Army’s 55RR and 182Bn CRPF launched a cordon and search operation there, police spokesperson said in a statement here.
He said the search operation turned into an encounter after the militants spurned the offer of surrender and fired upon the forces, who retaliated.
Keeping in view the sanctity of a mosque there, “the joint team exercised maximum restraint to ensure no damage to it and two army personnel sustained splinter injuries during the encounter,” the spokesperson said, adding that both the injured were evacuated to hospital where their condition is stated to be stable.
In the ensuing encounter, two militants terrorists affiliated with proscribed LeT outfit were killed and their bodies were recovered from the site of encounter.
The slain militants were identified as Shahid Ahmed Khan, son of Mohi-ud-din Khan, resident of Batpora, Pulwama; and Fayaz Sheikh, son of Ghulam Rasool Sheikh, resident of Shahpora, Ganderbal.
“As per police records, both the killed terrorists were categorized terrorists and were wanted by law in many terror crime cases,” police spokesperson said.
Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation, police said.
While interacting with media outside the Hazratbal shrine, IGP Kashmir said that “terrorists have changed their strategies to take shelter in mosques and shrines in order to hurt the religious sentiments and create law and order problems in the valley; however, we will defeat all such nefarious designs.”
Bank guard shot at, injured in Pulwama
Militants shot at and injured a bank guard in Pulwama district of south Kashmir on Thursday, officials said.
“At about 3:55 pm, terrorists fired upon Jammu and Kashmir Bank guard posted at TP branch Murran Chowk Pulwama and snatched his 12 bore rife,” a police spokesperson said.
The guard has been identified as Abdul Hamid Wani, a resident of Tahab, Pulwama.
The injured is admitted at the Pulwama district hospital where his condition is stated to be stable, police said, adding that a case has been registered and investigation is in progress.
