Thousands attend funeral; 15 injured in clashes; internet, train services suspended
Qayoom Khan
Srinagar: Four Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants were killed in a gunfight with government forces at Hanjan Payeen area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday morning.
“Based on a credible input about the presence of militants in Hanjan Payeen area of Pulwama, a cordon and search operation was launched today morning jointly by police and security forces in the area,” a police spokesperson said.
As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the militants. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight, he said.
“In the ensuing encounter, four militants were killed and the bodies were recovered from the site of the encounter,” he said.
The slain militants were identified as Muzamil Ahmad Dar (district commander of JeM) son of Ghulam Nabi Dar resident of Rahmoo Pulwama, Waseem Akram Wani son of Mohammad Akram Wani resident of Tikken Batapora Pulwama, and Muzamil Nazir Bhat son of Nazir Ahmad Bhat resident of Prichoo Pulwama. From the incriminating materials recovered at the site of the encounter, one militant is learnt to be a foreigner from Pakistan.
“All the militants were affiliated with JeM outfit and were wanted by the law for their complicity in a series of militant crimes including the attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities,” the spokesperson said.
Arms and ammunition including rifles were recovered from the encounter site. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other militant cases, he said adding, bodies of the three local militants were handed over to the legal heirs after completion of medico-legal formalities.
Following the killing of militants, the people mostly youth took to streets near the gunfight site and Pulwama town, and pelted stones on forces who retaliated with tear smoke shells and pellets to disperse them, resulting in injuries to 15 persons. All the injured have been hospitalized.
Meanwhile, the bodies of the slain local militants were laid to rest and thousands of people attended their multiple funerals at their respective native villages. The train service to and fro south Kashmir was suspended while authorities snapped internet services in Pulwama district which also observed the shutdown following the killing of militants. (GNS)
