Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
A local militant and an Armyman were killed during an encounter in north Kashmir’s Ladoora village on Wednesday. The encounter began after personnel of the J&K Police’s Special Operation Group and the Army launched an operation in Rafiabad area based on a specific tip-off about the presence of militants at Gania Mohallah locality in the Ladoora village. The seven-hour operation ended after the militant hideout was set on fire by the security personnel. Two other houses were also damaged in the encounter.
One Rashtriya Rifles soldier, who was seriously wounded during the operation, later succumbed to his injuries. The slain militant was identified by police as Riyaz Ahmad Mir of Sopore’s Brath Kalan village. Security forces also recovered two AK rifles from the encounter site.
Police claimed that Mir was affiliated with the Lashkar-e-Islam led by former Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Qayoom Najar, who was suspended by the HM over his involvement in the attacks on cellular towers and civilian killings in Sopore.
Mir is the second Lashkar-e-Islam militant who has been killed by the security forces.
Last month, police and Army had killed another militant belonging to the outfit in Pattan area while trying to chase down Najar after an attack on a police party along the Srinagar-Baramulla National Highway.
Sopore SP Abdul Qayoom said that killing of Riyaz was a major setback for the Lashkar- e-Islam militant group. “We had specific input about the presence of militants in the area. The slain militant had recently joined militancy and was involved in many cases in Sopore and its adjoining areas,” he said.
Sources, however, said that Mir, who joined militant ranks in 2014, had patched up with the Hizbul Mujahideen and was again working with the outfit.
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
