6 militants killed in fierce Bijbehara gunfight, Hizb tributes slain militants

Srinagar: In a fierce gunfight, six Kashmiri militants were killed in in Sekipora area of Bijbehera in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Friday morning. Hizb Ul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT)in their separate statements to local news gathering agency tributed the slain militants and police claimed that one of the militants killed in the gunfight was ‘ involved in the killing of veteran journalist and founder Editor of English Daily Rising Kashmir’.
Srinagar based defense spokesperson said that six militants were killed in the operation. “Weapons and warlike stores were also recovered.” he said.
Police sources said that a predawn gunfight broke out in the village after government forces launched a massive cordon and search operation in the area.
“As the forces zeroed in at the location where militants were suspected to be hiding, the hiding militants fired on the forces triggering a gunfight.”
All the six slain militants were turned out to be locals. Top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Azad Ahmad Malik alias Dada of Arwani was among the six slain militants.
The other militants who died in the firefight were identified as Basit Ahmad Mir of Pushwara Islamabad affiliated with LeT, Atif Nazar of Waghama, Firdous Ahmad of Pulwama, Unais Shafi Bhat of Takiya Maqsood Shah Bijbehara and Shahid Malik from Awantipora affiliated with Hizbul Mujhadeen.
A police official said the four among six slain were affiliated with Hizb ul-Mujahideen militant group.
The militants killed in a gunfight at Sutkipora area of Bijbehara in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district include Azad Malik, who police claim was involved in the assassination of journalist Shujaat Bukhari in Srinagar who was the founder editor of English Daily Rising Kashmir.
Bukhari, was leaving his office in Srinagar when three assailants riding on a motorcycle shot him and two of his bodyguards on June 14 this year.
Authorities suspended train service while internet service was also suspended to block flow of information. Despite strict security arrangements massive clashes erupted in the area.
General Officer Commanding 15 Core Lieutenant General AK Bhat termed the killing of six militants by soldiers as ‘surgical strike.’ He said it was a clean and neat operation where no civilian sustained any injury. “The encounter was a surgical operation and is a big achievement for security agencies as there were no casualties of forces or civilians in this operation,” he added.
The killing of six militant sparked spontaneous shutdown in the district. Reports said that a pall of gloom descended in the district soon after the news of an encounter followed by the killing of six militants spread in the district. All the shops and other business establishments remained shut closed while traffic movement also remained off the roads. Clashes were reported from Khanabal- Naibasti localities of the town.
Meanwhile Militant outfit Hizbul Mujhadeen and Lashkar-e-Toiba have paid rich tributes to six militants including Dr Burhan killed in South Kashmir’s Bijbehara village.
While addressing Command Council meeting, the Hizbul Mujhadeen Chief Syed Salahuddin said that freedom loving people of Kashmir are giving their sacred blood in the war that has imposed by Indian Army upon them. He said freedom fighters are preferring death over surrendering before the enemy.
“Youth are our precious asset. Their departure is really painful. The sacrifices rendered by this nation are appreciable. The Sun of freedom will rise in Kashmir,” Salahuddin said in a statement to local news gathering agency CNS.
Deputy Chief Saifullah Khalid and Field Operational Commander Muhammad Bin Qasim also paid rich tributes to the slain militants and said that their sacrifices will not go waste.
Another militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba Jammu Kashmir also paid their immense tribute to the martyred freedom fighters namely Lashkar-e-Taiba’sAbu zaid Azad malik Urf Dada. Abu Hanzala, Firdos Ahmed from Pulwama, Abu al-Qasim Shahid Ahmed from Pulwama, Abu Ayyan Basit from Islamabad province, and two others from Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.
The LeT Chief Mahmood Shah in a statement to local news gathering agency CNS said that those who rendered immense sacrifices in the path of freedom are better than those whose hearts have hardened. “Raising the voice against oppression is not an act to be expected from cold-hearted.”
“Today, every youth is against Indian occupation. India’s problems will never decrease. Today if six from us are martyred then time will change and soon twelve from Indian occupational forces will bite the dust.”
Mahmood Shah paid their tribute to the youth and children and advised them to understand the enemies’ conspiracies.