Slain elderly militant turns out to be beggar

On Wednesday,the Army had claimed that its 6 Rashtriya Rifles killed a terrorist during an encounter in Rainawari forest near Pahaldagi village in Handwara in north Kashmir around 4 am. Our patrol parties along with police had an exchange of fire with a terrorist in Rainawari forest. In the ensuing encounter,the lone terrorist was killed, the statement issued by the defence spokesman Lt Col J S Brar said. The Army had claimed to have recovered an AK rifle along with four magazines and 67 rounds from the slain terrorist.

Not convinced by the Army story about an elderly militant,the police had sent copies of the mans pictures to all its police stations across north Kashmir. Handwara SP Rafiq Vakil also denied that the police was part of the encounter at all.

Two days later,Taj Mohammad of Dewar approached the police in Handwara along with cousin Manzoor Ahmad saying that the old man who was killed by the army is not a militant but his father Habibullah Khan. On the request of family,the DC ordered an exhumation of the body in the presence of senior officials and family members. The family members identified the exhumed body as that of Habibullah and said that he was mentally challenged and used to beg.

The Army now says the villager was possibly being exploited as a guide or human shield. On the night of April 13 and 14,a surveillance cum ambush party of 6 Rashtriya Rifles observed suspicious movement of three to four terrorists in the Rainwari forests. On being challenged,a firefight ensured between the militants and this party. After the encounter,which lasted 10-15 minutes,the militants managed to break contact and escape into the thick jungles, said Brar. After daybreak,a body was recovered,with an AK-47 rifle and ammunition near it. Possibly the deceased was being exploited as a guide or human shield, he said.