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2 Hizb militants killed in pre-dawn Shopian gunfight
ESS AHMAD. Dated: 11/7/2018 12:10:48 AM
ANANTNAG, Nov 6: Two Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militants including an army man turned militant were killed in a gunfight with government forces in southern Shopian district on Tuesday even as thousands of people joined the funeral prayers of the slain amid frosty weather conditions.
The gunfight, according to officials, broke out in Safnagri village of Shopian during pre-dawn hours after the forces threw a cordon around the area after receiving credible intelligence inputs about the presence of militants.
Officials said that as soon as the forces laid a siege in the area and zeroed in on a particular cluster of houses, the militants hiding in a residential house opened fire on them triggering a gunfight. Amid exchange of fire, the hiding militants, officials said, came out of the house in a bid to break the cordon and flee. However, they said, both of them were killed in open while trying to escape. "It was a brief encounter in which no collateral damage was caused as both the militants were killed in open," officials said.
The killed militants were identified as Idrees Sultan alias Chota Ibrahim of Safnagri where the encounter took place and Amir Hussain rather of Awneera village.
Idrees, local said, was working in army before joining militant ranks in April this year. An official said before returning home to join Hizb ranks, Idrees was posted in Bihar with a JAKLI unit. His another slain associate, an official said, Amir Hussain was also active from last eight months.
A police spokesman said that the slain were involved in many attacks on security establishments in the area.
Amid cold and frost weather conditions thousands of people gathered at the funeral of the slain duo in their native villages. Local sources said that soon after the news about the killing of two militants spread early morning, people from adjoining and far off places braving cold and frosty weather marched towards their native villages to attend their funeral prayers.
Witnesses said that in Safnagri village, five rounds of funeral prayers were held for the army man turned militant to accommodate the huge rush of mourners while as for his another associate three rounds of funeral prayers were offered. Laters funeral gathering, according to local sources was also addressed by Hurriyat (G) chairman, Syed Ali Geelani over telephone.