Hizb militant killed in Shopian encounter

A Hizbul Mujahideen militant was killed in a gunfight which began on Wednesday morning in South Kashmir’s Shopian district.

Police identified the militant killed in the encounter as Umar Ishfaq Malik, a resident of Bongam village in Shopian, abnd said he was involved in the attack on a policeman on Tuesday, the police said. According to police, he was active since 2020.

On Wednesday morning, a joint team of police, Army and paramilitary forces cordoned off Nadigam village in Shopian after receiving inputs about the presence of militants there. Police officials said that as the security team zeroed in on the target, militants hiding in the village opened fire in an attempt to escape. The security personnel retaliated, leading to a gunfight, in which one militant was killed, police said.

“He (Malik) was also instrumental in motivaying gullible youth to join terror folds and other criminal activities,” police said in s statement. “He was also providing logistic and other support to active terrorists in the area before joining the terror ranks.”

The Valley has seen a sudden increase in gunfights over the last few months. According to official figures, 22 militants, including eight foreign militants, have been killed in 12 anti-militancy operations this year alone.

Police figures show 13 of the 22 militants killed belongwed to Jaish-e-Mohammad.