SRINAGAR: The night-long stand-off at the Police Complex Tral in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district ended with the killing of “weapon snatcher” who fired at police personnel intermittently during the night, police said Thursday.
A senior police official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that Muhammad Amin Malik of Nagabal, Machama area of Tral, who according to police, was arrested on May 30, for questioning, Wednesday afternoon snatched a gun from a police man inside the Police Complex Tral and engaged the policemen through-out the night.
“In the incident, the cop identified as Amjad Khan received injuries following which Amin took shelter in the generator room of the camp,” he said.
He said that his family was rushed to the spot to persuade him to surrender, however, he turned down the repeated surrender offers.
The police official said that Amin fired upon forces, which was retaliated and exchange of fire continued for several hours and in the ensuing gunfight, he got killed.
POLICE VERSION: Police said that the person killed in an overnight operation at police component complex Tral in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district was an “active militant operative” who was arrested on May 30 along with incriminating material including explosives.
A police official told KNO that Muhammad Amin Malik s/o Abdul Ahad Malik R/O Nagbal Machhma, Tral, was an active militant operative, who was killed in an overnight operation on 2/3 June jointly conducted by Awantipora Police, 180 Bn CRPF and 42 RR at Police Component complex Tral.
“Amin was arrested on May 30, 2021 along with incriminating materials viz. arms, ammunitions and explosives including unlicensed 12 bore gun, live rounds, explosives, iron/steel balls, 9 feature phones and other warlike stores used in fabrication of IEDs,” the official said, adding that “A case FIR No. 48/2021 under relevant sections of law was registered at Police Station Tral. Amin was on Police remand and on 2/6/2021 he was brought from Police Station Tral to the Police Component, Tral for further interrogation. During the interrogation the terror operative got hold of the service rifle (AK 47) of Constable Amjad Khan and fired indiscriminately with intention to kill the Police personnel. He critically wounded CT Amjad Khan.”
The official said that Amin then took total control of the interrogation room and engaged the Police personnel by firing intermittently from the snatched weapon. “Sensing grave danger to the lives of Police personnel and that of Amin, his mother and Executive Magistrate were brought on the site and repeated sincere efforts were made to persuade him to through away the weapon and surrender.” Amin, police said, however, displayed complete defiance to such persuasions and not only refused to surrender but also fired upon the Police party engaged in persuasion. “One of the Police personnel was hit with a bullet on chest and survived because of bulletproof jacket he was wearing,” the official said, adding that “After failing of all efforts to ensure his surrender, the terror operative was engaged in a gun fight following the rules and SoP of such engagement and was neutralized.”
The police official said that the snatched weapon was recovered from the possession of the slain.
“In this regard, case FIR No. 61/2021 under relevant sections of law stands registered at Police Station Tral and investigation taken up. Body of slain militant was sent to Police Hospital Srinagar for medico-legal formalities,” the official said.
Police said that it is pertinent to mention that the slain militant operative was active militant of Hizb ul Mujahideen in the past and was arrested in 2003. “Further, his brother Shabir Malik was also a militant of AGuH outfit, who was eliminated at Brenpathri in 2019,” the official said.
FAMILY VERSION: Zahoor Ahmed Malik, brother of slain Amin, alleged that police had raided their house last week but his brother wasn’t present there. “Three days after the police raid, we presented Amin before DySP with a promise that he will be back home within three days,” Zahoor told KNO. He said that a few days ago, he went to see his brother and was shocked to see his knee and wrist was broken. “My brother told me that he was beaten and tied to a chair after which his wrist and knee were broken,” alleged Zahoor.
On Wednesday, Zahoor said that they got a call at 4 pm from police station. “We were told that Amin has snatched the weapon. We took our mother who is depression patient and is not able to hear properly as she has received bullet injury in the past and has also lost her son in 2019, to persuade Amin to surrender,” Zahoor said, adding that “my mother made several appeals to Amin and told us that she wasn’t able to hear whether Amin was responding or not.”
Later, Zahoor said that he was told by police men at police complex Tral that they are persuading his brother and by morning he will be back home. “In the morning, we came to know that he has been killed. Irony is that we were not even allowed to have his last glimpse. His body was taken to unknown location,” Zahoor said, adding that “the entire incident must be probed impartially.”
He said his brother was an active militant who surrendered in 2003. “Since his surrender he was never called for questioning as he was earning his livelihood by going for daily labour work.” Zahoor said his brother left behind his wife, two sons aged 14 and 7 years.