Militant killed in brief shootout with army in Awantipora

Awantipora: A militant was on Friday killed in a brief shootout with the Government forces in Rinzipora area of Awantipora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Friday.
Police said that on credible inputs about the presence of militants in Banderpora area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, a cordon and search operation was launched in the wee hours hours jointly by Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu & Kashmir Police , Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the local unit of the Rashrtriya Rifles in the area.
“As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the militants. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight. In the ensuing encounter, one militants identified as Ishfaq Yousuf Wani son of Mohammad Yousuf Wani resident of Koil Pulwama was killed”, said police in a statement adding that ‘he was wanted by the law for his complicity in a series of militancy related activities including attacks on security establishments and civilians”.
Police has registered a case and initiated investigation in the matter. Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and probe his complicity in other terror crimes.
The killing of the militant in the shootout with the government forces triggered violent protests in Pulwama town. Reports said that youth took to streets and hurled stones on the forces deployed in the town soon after the news of killing of Ishfaq Wani of Koil village reached there. The forces responded by firing tear gas, triggering further clashes.
The authorities suspended internet service in Tral, Pulwama and Awantipora as a precautionary measure. Train service was on Friday suspended for security reasons in south Kashmir. However, train service was normal in north Kashmir, a senior railway official said early morning.
The IUST suspended clashes and all examinations which were scheduled for Friday. Students and teaching staff who had arrived at the campus were directed to leave. Students said as the classes were just to start they were asked to leave to their homes in university buses. They said several times the university buses were caught in stone pelting during demonstrations at Awantipora chowk.
Thousands of people on Friday participated in the last rites of the militant. Witnesses said that over ten thousand people participated in the funeral prayers of Ishfaq Wani at his native Koil village of Pulwama.
He said that the mourners raised pro-freedom and pro-Pakistan slogans as the body of Wani was lowered into the grave. An MBA graduate, Wani had joined militant ranks in July this year.