Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 27

After top militant Burhan Wani’s killing in July last year, security forces today tasted their first major success when they gunned down his close aide and Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Ahmed Bhat along with one of his associates in south Kashmir’s Tral area of Pulwama district. The killing of Sabzar (27), alias Sahbeh Don, has ignited fresh tension in the Valley. A civilian was also killed in the “crossfire”.The encounter took place at Saimoh village, some 40 km from Srinagar, when a joint operation was launched last evening by the J&K Police, Army’s 42 Rashtriya Rifles battalion and the CRPF’s 180 battalion following a specific input about the presence of three militants.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)As the forces were moving towards the village, the hiding militants fired at them, triggering a brief gunfight. The security forces maintained a tight cordon around the village the entire night and resumed the operation against the militants hiding in a house early in the morning.“A fierce gunfight ensued as the forces approached the suspected house, which left Sabzar and Faizan Muzzaffar dead,” a police officer said. Video received on WhatsApp from unidentified senderJ&K Director General of Police Shesh Paul Vaid termed the killing of the militant commander as a “major success” for the security forces.The civilian who was killed has been identified as Aqib Ahmed of Tral. While the locals said he died in “firing by forces” while they were trying to march towards the gunfight site, the police said he died in the “crossfire”. There are reports that a militant who was trapped may have managed to escape.As the news about the militant commander’s death spread, an instant shutdown was observed and there were clashes in many parts of the Valley. At several places, the forces had to use teargas and fire into the air to disperse stone-throwing crowds.

The clashes left several people injured. The killing of Burhan, a resident of Tral, had led to a five-month-long unrest that left nearly 90 persons dead and thousands injured.Meanwhile, the separatists have called for a shutdown on Sunday and Monday to protest the killing of militants and civilians. They have also called for a march to Tral on May 30. Meanwhile, curfew will be imposed in seven police station areas of Srinagar tomorrow to prevent the spread of violent protests.

Shutdown in Kashmir due to protests over killing of Hizbul commander

A spontaneous shutdown was on Saturday observed in the Kashmir Valley. Tribune filr

Srinagar, May 27

A spontaneous shutdown was on Saturday observed in the Kashmir Valley following violent protests in the wake of killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, even as a person was injured in Anantnag during clashes with security forces.Bhat, who succeeded Burhan Wani, was killed along with another militant in an encounter with security forces in Tral area of Kashmir’s Pulwama district.Soon after the killings, stone-pelting protests started at around 50 places, including Tral in Pulwama and Khanabal in Anantnag in south Kashmir, the police said.A person in Mattan area in the district was injured during clashes with security forces, they said.The situation across the Valley is tense. Unnerved people rushed to their homes, leading to traffic snarls on certain routes. The schools closed three hours early. PTI

Mobile internet services suspended in Kashmir

Srinagar, May 27

Mobile internet services were suspended in Kashmir Valley on Saturday as a precautionary measure in the wake of killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat in an encounter with security forces in Tral.Mobile internet services have been snapped across the Valley since the afternoon, officials said. However, BSNL broadband service was functioning normally, they said.The officials said the services were suspended as a precautionary measure to check rumour-mongering following protests at various places against Bhat’s killing at Tral on Saturday morning.The mobile internet suspension comes hours after the government lifted a month-long ban on 22 social networking websites and apps in the Valley. PTI

Separatists call for bandh after protests in Valley over killing of Hizb commander

Srinagar, May 27

Separatists in the Kashmir Valley have called for a two-day shutdown from Sunday over the “use of force” against the protesters following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat on Saturday in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district.The separatists also called for a march to Tral, in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, on May 30 to pay tributes to Bhat and seven other militants killed in two separate encounters in the Valley on Saturday.While Bhat, who succeeded Burhan Wani, was killed along with another militant in Soimoh village of Tral, the security forces foiled a major infiltration bid along the Line of Control in Rampur sector in north Kashmir’s Uri, killing six militants.A civilian was killed allegedly in cross-firing between militants and security forces during the encounter in Tral area. At least 30 people have been injured in the clashes between protesters and security forces in different parts of the Valley.“We condemn the use of brute force against the unarmed civilians, injuring hundreds of them and call for a strike on Sunday and Monday,” a joint statement from separatists–chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and JKLF chief Yasin Malik, said here.The separatists asked people in the Valley to turn up in large numbers in Tral on Tuesday to pay tributes to the slain militants.They said that calling for a strike had become necessary to protest the “state terrorism” unleashed by the forces on the civilian protesters. PTI