In a major setback to Hizbul Mujahideen, three of its militants, including a senior commander, were killed on Sunday in a gunfight with security forces near south Kashmir’s Tral town.
he three militants were killed a day after the Hizbul Mujahideen’s another top commander Naveed Mushtaq was arrested along with a police officer in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
The gunfight took place early today in Gulshanpora village near Tral town following a raid by security forces on a house where the militants were suspected to be present, Kashmir police chief Vijay Kumar told reporters here.
‘Most wanted’ ultra
- Hamad Khan was ‘most wanted’ militant and involved in killings of civilians as well as the recruitment of cadre for the Hizb. He was wanted in 16 cases registered at Tral police station and two cases at Awantipora police station,” say the police.
Kumar said the police received the intelligence inputs at night about the presence of Hamad Khan, the commander of Hizbul Mujahideen for Tral sub-district, at a house in Gulshanpora following which an operation was launched. “The militants were told to surrender but they opened fire, which was retaliated,” he said.
The police officer said two militants, including Khan, were killed in the initial gunfight while the third militant shifted to another house and was killed in the afternoon.
The other two militants were identified as Adil and Faizan. A large cache of arms and ammunition, including assault rifles and grenades, was recovered from the site of the gunfight, the officer said.
Kashmir IGP Kumar said Khan was a ‘most wanted’ militant and was involved in killings of civilians as well as the recruitment of cadre for the militant group.
The killing of Khan significantly weakens Hizbul Mujahideen’s presence in Tral, a sub-district of Pulwama district which has been sympathetic to militants.