Srinagar: A militant and his ‘active associate’ were killed in a shootout with security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said Monday.
“During the preceding night (Sunday), security forces at a checkpoint on Shopian-Turkawangom road at Mool Chitragam (in the south Kashmir district) intercepted a vehicle. However, the terrorists inside the vehicle opened fire on the security forces,” a police spokesman said.
He said the security forces retaliated and in the process, ‘one terrorist identified as Firdous Ahmad Bhat and an active associate Sajad Ahmad who was driving the vehicle got killed’. “Group affiliation of the slain militant and the OGW (over ground worker) is being ascertained,” other police sources said.
Both of them were residents of neighbouring Kulgam district, the spokesman said, adding another militant managed to flee taking advantage of the darkness. He also informed that according to police records, Bhat was a ‘listed terrorist’.
The bodies have been handed over to their legal heirs after completion of medico-legal formalities, he said.
“Incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, were recovered from the spot. All these materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror crimes,” the spokesman said.
Incidentally OGWs are overground workers of militant outfits who work as their eyes and ears. They keep watch on the movement of security forces, arrange hideouts for militants and also provide other logistic support to them.
Mobile Internet services have been suspended in Kulgam district as a precautionary measure.
Agency