Al-Badr militant recruitee killed in fierce gunfight in Kulgam

KULGAM — A newly recruited militant of Al-Badr militant outfit was killed in an encounter at Hawoora area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Tuesday, an official said.

The official told the news agency KNO that a local militant, who was recruited in the militant group of Al-Badr outfit, has been killed in the encounter.

They said that police personnel was also injured in the initial exchange of firing. “The condition of the cop is stable,” officials said.

Earlier, officials said that police, the army’s 1st RR and the CRPF cordoned off the suspected spot in Hawoora village of Kulgam, where the hiding militant fired upon the forces, triggering an encounter.

Meanwhile, a police spokesman said, “Acting on a specific input regarding the presence of a terrorist in village Hawoora, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police, Army (1st RR) and CRPF (18 Bn) in the area.”

The statement reads that during the search operation, as the joint search party approached the suspected spot, “the hiding terrorist fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, in which one police personnel got injured who was subsequently shifted to hospital for treatment.”

“The hiding terrorist was also given an opportunity to surrender, however, he kept on firing on the joint forces. The fire was effectively retaliated, leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, a local terrorist linked with proscribed terrorist outfit Al-Badr was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of the encounter.”

It added that he has been identified as Adil Majeed Lone son of Abdul Majeed Lone, a resident of Akbarabad, Hawoora, Kulgam.

“Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including a pistol with live ammunition and a grenade were recovered from the site of the encounter. All the recovered material has been taken into case records for further investigation,” the police statement said.

It reads that a case under relevant sections of law has been registered and further investigation is in progress.

“People are requested to cooperate with police till the area at the encounter site is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials, if any,” it added.