1. Home
2. Front Page

‘Militant’ killed in Handwara encounter

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 7/18/2012 1:09:45 AM

SRINAGAR, Jul 17: An unidentified ‘militant’ was killed in the wee hours today in an encounter with police and army at Batsunjhi in Handwara area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, police said.
The militant, according to the police, was hiding in the forest near Jaba in the village. On a tip off, the police and army started a search operation overnight, resulting in a gunfight that ended at 9 AM with death of the ‘militant’.
“On receiving the information, the police and 6 RR jointly launched a search operation in the area. Just before dawn the ‘militant’ fired upon the search party, which retaliated and killed him in the process,” the SHO Zachaldara, Showkat Khan, told Kashmir Times.
The gunfight was followed up with a search operation by the forces, concluding it before noon.
The ‘militant’ could not be identified, and his body was handed over to the local Auqaf committee for last rites.
“He was laid to rest by the committee,” the SHO said. Asked if the militant was local or foreigner, he replied: “Most probably he was a foreigner.”
The police is yet to ascertain the organization he belonged to. While the graph of militancy is believed to have declined tremendously, the encounters have been taking place intermittently in north Kashmir areas closer to the Line of Control (LoC). This month, it was the roughly the third encounter between ‘militants’ and the forces in North Kashmir, resulting in death of six militants.
Two militants were killed and four security personnel, including a policeman, injured in a two day encounter at Bawan Rajwar, Handwara on July 6. Nine structures, mostly residential, were damaged during the exchange of fire.
And a day before, three militants were reportedly killed in an encounter between ‘militants’ and the forces in Bungus valley in the district.
The militant activities have apparently increased too. The valley has witnessed an upsurge in the attacks on political activists, surpanches and panches in the recent area, besides the point-blank range attacks on security personnel.