Barmulla/Shopian: Police on Monday said that operational chief of Jaish-e-Muhammad militant outfit Khalid was killed in one gunfight with the government forces in Ladoora village of Rafiabad in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district and in another encounter three militants were killed in South Kashmir’s Shopian district.
An official said that Khalid sustained bullet injury in his leg during a brief gunfight that ensued after forces cordoned off the area. “He couldn’t flee because of the injury and died due to blood loss after taking refuge in a school building,” he said.
Kashmir Police chief Muneer Khan said that Khalid was the operational chief of Jaish-e-Muhammad outfit. “He was the brain behind recent Fidayeen attacks,” said Khan.
Police Monday evening said that three militants were killed in a gunfight with government forces in Shopian district of south Kashmir .
An official said that gunfight began after a joint party of army, SOG of Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF cordoned off the Gatipora village of the district following “specific” inputs about the presence of militants.
He said that militants hiding in the village opened fire after forces approached the suspected site, drawing retaliation from the forces. “Firing has stopped. Combing operation is underway,” said the official.
Three militants affiliated with Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Toiba outfits have been killed in the gunfight. “All three militants have been successfully killed,” tweeted DGP S P Vaid. The slain militants were identified as Zahid Mir of Ganowpora, Asif Ahmad Pal of Kathokalan and Irfan Abdullah Ganai of Heff village of Shopian.
“Zahid and Asif belonged to Hizb while Irfan was affiliated with LeT,” said the official. Two AK-47 rifles were recoevered from their possession.
