Militant killed in Renzipora gunbattle in Pulwama

Srinagar: A militant was killed in a gunfight at Renzipora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Friday morning.

“Based on a credible input about the presence of militants in Banderpora area of Pulwama, a cordon and search operation was launched in the morning hours jointly by Police and security forces in the area,” a police spokesman said in a statement.

As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the militants. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight, he said.

In the ensuing encounter, one militant identified as Ishfaq Yousuf Wani son of Mohammad Yousuf Wani resident of Koil Pulwama was neutralized, he said.

He was wanted by the law for his complicity in a series of militant crimes including attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities, he said.

“Police has registered a case and initiated an investigation in the matter. Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and probe his complicity in other terror crimes,” he said.

Citizens are requested not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials. People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosives materials if any, he said.

According to sources, Wani had joined Lashkar-e-Toiba militant outfit on 19/07/2018.

Wani had completed his MBA in 2015. Before joining the militant ranks, Wani was doing a job in ICICI Bank and had later started his own business.

His father was also a militant and died along with two of his associates in Pinglena in 1996.

Meanwhile, the body of the slain was laid to rest and thousands of people attended his funeral. The train service to and fro south Kashmir was suspended while authorities snapped internet services in Pulwama district. The district also observed the shutdown following the killing of the militant. (GNS)