Srinagar: Three militants including Hizb-ul-Mujahideen top commander were killed in a gunfight in Anantnag district of south Kashmir, officials said.
A police officer told GNS that a joint team of Police, Army’s 19 Rashtriya Rifles and paramilitary CRPF launched a cordon-and-search-operation in Runipora Khull Khulchohar area of the south Kashmir district early Monday morning.
As the joint team encircled the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them. The fire was retaliated, triggering off an encounter in which three militants were killed, the officer said. Among them includes Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Commander Masood of Doda district.
Director General of Police Dilbag Singh confirmed that Masood “who had shifted his area of operation to Kashmir” was among the slain.
“Doda district in Jammu zone becomes totally militancy free once again as Masood was last surviving (militant) of the district,” he said.
The other two slain were identified by sources as Tariq Khan of Lal Chowk Anantnag and Nadeem from Kulgam. However, official confirmation was still awaited.
The killing also takes the number of militants killed this year to 116 including six operational commanders of all militant outfits. Pertinently, in last year till 04 August 2019, 133 militants were killed in the Valley.(GNS)
