SAFAPORA, February 16: Six foreign militants gunned down by the Army, including a `Captain' of the Harkat-ul-Ansar's death squad, have been identified as the killers of 23 Kashmiri Pandits at Wandhama village on January 25.Three of the militants identified by the Army are `Capt' Shahir Ali, Saimullah and Yameen Qaisarwani, all from Pakistan. The antecedents of the other three are being ascertained by the Army.In a two-day-long mountain operation covered live by The Indian Express, 750 troops of the 70 Infantry Brigade gunned down six foreign militants at hideouts above the snowline at 12,000 feet. The Army did not suffer any casualty. Five foreign militants were gunned down by the troops of the 3 Kumaon in close-quarter battles.``The Al-Badr captain was likely the controller of operations in the Ganderbal area. An entry in his diary says,``We have killed 23 Kafirs today.'' The hideouts were thought to be almost impregnable by the militants and they were taken completely by surprise when the troopsappeared at that time, height and weather,'' said Brig Shivrain, Commander of the Brigade. Safapora Heights is the transit point for militants entering Srinagar from North Kashmir.
