A local militant has been killed in an encounter that had raged yesterday late night at Chotigam hamlet of South Kashmir’s Shopian district.
Police identified the slain militant as Bilal Rasool Bhat of Chek Cholan village who was affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Police said that combined forces including soldiers from 34 Rashtriya Rifles, CRPF personnel from 178 Battalion and Jammu Kashmir Policemen from counter-insurgency unit cordoned off Chotigam village after inputs about the presence of militants.
Police said that the militant fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which was retaliated effectively, leading to his death.
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Police said that the slain militant was responsible for the killing of an army personnel Umar Fayaz Parray of Sudsan village of Kulgam. Further he had also killed two non-local labours in Hermain in a grenade attack and plus he was also involved in the killing of a Kashmiri Pandit namely Sunil Kumar Bhat and injuring other Kashmiri pandit Pretimber Nath, both residents of Chotigam Shopian.
The slain militant as per the police was also involved in attack on a local, namely Bal Krishan alias Sonu of Chotigam. Moreover, he was involved in instigating local youth to join militant ranks and induced 12 local youth into the ranks of militancy. He was also involved in killing of arrested militant who as per the police was leading the search party during a CASO at Nowgam in the year 2022.
Police said that incriminating materials, arms, and ammunition including 01 AK series rifle, and 03 magazines were recovered from the site of the encounter.
Police in this regard have registered a formal case under relevant sections of law. [KNT]
