Owais Gul
SRINAGAR: A militant affiliated with Lashkar-e-Toiba was killed in an encounter that raged between forces and militants in Gund Brath area of Sopore in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district today.
The encounter broke out after the Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) was launched in the area following credible inputs about the presence of some militants, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) North Kashmir Range, Suleman Chaudhary said while talking to media persons.
The CASO according to him was launched in the intervening night of Tuesday-Wednesday by District Police Sopore and 22 RR of Army. He said that the search party after zeroing in at the suspected house, the hiding militants fired upon them, thus leading to an encounter. He said that only one militant has been killed and his body was recovered.
The slain as per police has been identified as Adnan Ali Channa resident of Arampora Baramulla. “The slain militant as per police records was affiliated with LeT and was wanted by law for his complicity in cases including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities,” police said.
According to the police records, he was operating in the areas of Baramulla and Sopore and was involved in planning and executing several attacks in the area.
Several cases were registered against him including case FIR number 41/2019 pertaining to the killing of a civilian Arjumand Majeed Bhat in Jatti Baramulla in March 2019, Case FIR number 33/2019 pertaining to firing on a civilian Feroz Ahmad Gojree of Zaloora Sopore in May 2019. He was involved in recruiting locals to the militant ranks, police added.
It was a clean operation and no collateral damage took place during the encounter, police said, adding that incriminating material including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. “All these materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other cases,” he added.
Meanwhile, police urged people to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials if any. Moreover, the mobile internet services were snapped in Sopore soon after the encounter broke out in the area.
Besides, people in large number participated in the funeral procession of slain militant at his native village Azadgunj. Witnesses said that pro-freedom slogans were raised during the funeral prayers of the slain. They added that the slain militant was later laid to rest at his native village.