Militant killed in firefight in Tral

SRINAGAR — A militant of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind was killed in an encounter with government forces at Branpatri forest area of Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Tuesday.

Reports reaching here said that a joint team of Army, SOG and CRPF laid a siege at Branpatri, forest area of Tral today morning.

A police spokesman said that the cordon was laid following credible inputs. As the joint team launched searches, the trapped militants opened fire which lead to an encounter, the spokesman said.

During the course of the gunfight, one militant was killed and his body along with arms and ammunition was recovered. The officer identified the slain as Shabir Ahmad Malik of Nagbal Tral.

As per the police records, he was initially affiliated with proscribed LeT outfit and later on was part of Zakir Musa group, the spokesman said.

“Shabir, as per police records, was wanted by law for his complicity in several terror crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities,” he said.

“He was part of groups responsible for planning and executing militant attacks in the area. Several militant cases were registered against him including case FIR No. 43/15 of Police Station Trikuta Nagar pertaining to the planning and making preparations for carrying out terror attacks in Jammu,” the spokesman said.

“Pertinently, with the efforts of Police and security forces, it was a clean operation. No collateral damage happened during the encounter,” the spokesman said.

After conducting all legal-medico formalities, the body of the slain was handed over to his family for last rites, an official said.

Meanwhile, thousands of people attended the funeral of the slain at his native place. He was later buried amid pro-freedom slogans.