In another major success within two days, six terrorists, including top commanders of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), were on Sunday morning killed in an encounter with security forces at Batagund in Shopian district of South Kashmir. A Pakistani terrorist was also among the killed.

One of the slain terrorist, Mohammad Abbas Bhat, was involved in the killing of young Kashmiri Army officer Lieutenant Omar Fayaz, who was abducted from his house and brutally killed by terrorists, said police.

A soldier of the Army was also killed and another injured during the encounter. A youth was also killed reportedly in crossfire when a mob indulged in stone pelting at the security forces that were engaged in the encounter.

The soldier who died was a local Kashmiri who has been identified as Nazir Ahmad of 162 battalion of Territorial Army. He belonged to Kulgam in South Kashmir. Another soldier, Sunil of 34 RR, was injured.

Army spokesman, Colonel Rajesh Kalia, said that bodies of 6 terrorists have been recovered and warlike stored of arms and ammunition recovered from the encounter spot.

The security forces had on 23 November also killed 6 terrorists of whom 3 were top commanders of Hizbul Mujahedeen (HM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Today’s encounter broke out in the wee hours when a joint team of army’s 34RR, CRPF and SOG of J&K Police launched a cordon and search operation in Batagund following credible reports of presence of terrorists.

It is worth mentioning that 44 terrorists of various outfits have been killed in Shopian during the current year.

The police have identified the local slain terrorists as Umar Majid Ganai alias Hanzullah (HM commander), Waseem Wagay, Abbas Sheikh, Mushtaq Ahmad Mir, Khalid Farooq Malik of Alyalpora Shopian. They were involved in killing of several policemen, civilians and bank guards.

Umar Majid Ganai has escaped a few months ago during a shootout in Batamalo area of Srinagar that left an SOG man dead. A picture of Ganai showing him in the Lal Chok of Srinagar had gone viral on social media last week.

A 17-year-old youth, Nouman Ashraf, was killed and four others injured in clashes with security forces at the encounter spot. Police fired teargas shells to chase away the stone-pelters but they did not relent.