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IPS officer’s brother among 3 militants killed in Shopian encounter
ESS AHMAD. Dated: 1/23/2019 2:10:13 PM
Clashes amid snowfall, 4 photo journalists hit by pellets
ANANTNAG, Jan 22: Three militants belonging to Hizb-ul-Mujahideen were killed in a gunfight on Tuesday in southern Shopian district.
One of the slain militants was the younger brother of an IPS officer. Four photo-journalists were injured with pellets fired by security men.
Amid heavy snowfall forces including army, Special Operations Group (SOG) of police and CRPF personnel early morning launched cordon and search operation in the orchards of Shirmal village of Shopian following credible input about the presence of militants.
As the forces, officials said, began searches they came in contact with the militants sheltered in an underground hideout. The militants, they said, on seeing the forces zeroing in on the hideout opened fire. The fire was retaliated leading to gunfight.
Two militants, official sources said, were killed in an initial exchange of fire after they came out of the hideout in an attempt to flee. The initial exchange of fire also led to injuries to an army soldier.
Official sources said that one of the militants, however, continued to engage the forces for some time.
The gunfight ended in the early afternoon after the forces destroyed the hideout using explosives leading to the killing of third militant.
The slain militants were identified as Shams-ul-Haq of Dragad Shopian, Shoaib Ahmad Shah of Shirmal Shopian and Amir Ahmad Bhat of Chidipora Pulwama.
All of them had joined militant ranks earlier last year. One of the militants Shams-ul-Haq, according to locals, was the brother of 2012 batch IPS officer Inam-ul-Haq posted in North east.
Shamas, according to family sources, was pursuing Bachelors in Unani medicines and surgery (BUMS) from before joining militant ranks.
"He belonged to an economically well-off family and had all the luxuries of life. His joining militant ranks came as a shock for everyone. Though his family had left no stone unturned to bring him back but all their efforts failed," a relative told media.
The gunfight also triggered massive clashes at some distance from the encounter site. Local sources said that braving snowfall and cold, scores of youth tried to march towards encounter site but were stopped by the forces at a distance from the spot triggering clashes. The youth, they said, pelted stones at forces who responded with tearsmoke shelling and pellet firing.
In the forces action four photo journalists covering the clashes suffered pellet wounds in different parts of their bodies.
The injured photo journalists were identified as Wasim Indrabi, Junaid Gulzar, Mir Burhan and Nisar-ul-Haq.
The injured photo journalists were evacuated to the nearby hospital where the pellets were removed from their bodies.
However police said that a total of 11 persons including six forces personal suffered injuries during the clashes.
"It was a difficult operation due to the tough terrain. A total of five injured were rushed to the hospitals. Three of them were discharged after the treatment. Separately six forces personnel were injured during the clashes," police spokesman said.
Meanwhile, three militants killed in a separate encounter in Budgam on Monday turned out to be the residents of Pulwama and Shopian districts. They were identified as Sabzar Ahmad Mir Lassipora Pulwama, Syed Rabbani of Nazneenpora Shopian and Towseef Ahmad Mir of Nowpora Pulwama.
Police officials said that the three slain were associated with Al Badr militant outfit.