Security forces kill seven suspected criminals in Philippines
Philippine security forces have killed seven suspected criminals in a clash in southern Philippines, a military commander said Saturday.
Two militants, including a top Al-Badr commander, was killed in Kulgam district of Jammu-Kashmir in a gunfight with security forces on Saturday.
Police confirmed the identity of the two militants on Sunday. While one of them is Shakeel Ahmad Dar, the other is Zeenat-ul-Islam alias Zeenat alias Usman.
Usman, a resident of Shopian, was a commander of Al-Badr. A category A++ militant, he had in November 2018 joined the terror outfit from Hizbul Mujahideen following an pact between the two groups.
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In a statement, the police said that both slain militants were affiliated with the proscribed outfit Al-Badr and were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities.
“Zeenat-ul-Islam had a long history of crime records since 2006, when he got affiliated with Al-Badr and was later arrested,” the statement said.
Dar, who was Usman’s associate, was from Chilli Pora village.
On Saturday evening, security forces received specific information about the presence of militants in Katpora area of Yaripora in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district. The forces were conducting a cordon and search operation when they were fired at by the militants.
Reports say that the security forces asked the militants to surrender but Usman and Dar continued to fire. The two were killed in the encounter that followed.
Arms and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site, the official said, adding, no collateral damage has been reported during the encounter.
The bodies of the militants were handed over to their families after completion of the formalities.
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