Tribune News Service

Srinagar, February 13

Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed in a gunfight with security forces on Wednesday in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, the police said.

The militants were killed following a gunfight at Gopalpora village of Budgam. They have been identified as Hilal Wani and Shoaib Lone, both residents of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, the police said.

The police in a statement said the two slain militants were involved in several terror attacks and arms and ammunitions were recovered from their possession.

The police said Hilal was a senior commander and had been categorised as an ‘A++’ militant — signifying that he was in the list of most-wanted militants and also carried a bounty of Rs 12.5 lakh.

The gunfight erupted at Gopalpora when the security forces received information from “reliable sources” about the presence of militants in the village following which a cordon and search operation was launched.

A senior police officer said the search was launched late in the night and contact with militants was established early on Wednesday morning. “When we were conducting the searches, militants fired from a house which was retaliated,” the officer said.

The firefight continued for several hours and concluded at 7 am with the killing of both the militants, the official said, adding that the militants were planning to carry out an attack in the area even as the specifics of it were not immediately known.

The bodies of the militants were later handed over to their families after medico-legal formalities.

Hilal Wani was ‘A++’ ultra 

• Hilal Wani and Shoaib Lone, both residents of Kulgam district, were killed following a gunfight at Gopalpora in Budgam
• The police said Hilal was a senior commander and was categorised as an ‘A++’ militant — signifying that he was in the list of most-wanted militants and also carried a bounty of Rs 12.5 lakh