Ashmuqam encounter; slain militants identified

“The operation is over”, he said. The encounter ended with the killing of the three militants of HM outfit.

A special operation group in action.

A statement issued by the J&K Police said that three militants of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit were killed in an encounter in Ashmuqam area of Anantnag district this afternoon.

Three militants have been killed so far and search operation is underway in the area.

“The Army and police engaged the militants in a brief gun battle in which all three were killed”.

The three slain militants-Sartaj Ahmed Lone, Aadil Ahmed Sheikh and Tanvir Ahmed Bhat-were residents of Bijbehara town.

03 AK-47 riffles, 06 magazines, 01UBGL, 03 UBGL Grenade, 01 pistol with magazine were recovered from the encounter site.

“Adil and Tanveer were buried at the Matryr’s Graveyard where lie buried the martyrs of 1993 Bijbehara massacre”.

Hundreds of mourners, comprising of men, women and children, shouted pro-freedom and anti-government slogans while marching in the streets of Baba Mohalla where a Pakistani flag was planted atop the roof of the chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s ancestral home.

“Hoisting flags has become a fashion and it is because of social media that such isolated incidents get so much attention”, Parra, who is Political Analyst to the Chief Minister, was quoted by PTI as having said. The slain senior army officers were Colonel Santosh Mahadik and Lieutenant Colonel K.S. Natt.

In a separate operation in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, which entered its 11th day today, the security forces killed one militant while efforts were on to flush out his accomplices, the official said.

“When challenged, the guerrillas hiding in the house opened fire at security forces”.