Top Hizb commander, his aide, missing youth killed in Shopian gunfight

Sopore: The back to back gunfights have left various parts of south Kashmir rattled with a top Hizbul Mujahideen commander, his aide and a missing youth getting killed in a fresh gunfight in Sugan area of Shopian district, top police officials said.
Friday’s Shopian encounter was 15th one in a row in the ongoing fasting month of Ramadhan that saw the killing of 21 militants and a missing youth. Since January this year, the number of militants killed has reached 100, officials privy to the figures revealed.
Reports said, a joint team of forces including 44 RR, CRPF and SOG Sugan area of Zainapora launched search operation after having specific inputs about the presence of militants in the area.
“On intensifying search operation towards the suspected spot, hiding militants fired upon forces triggering an encounter,” a police official said. “After initial exchange of fire two bodies were recovered. After seven hours in fresh firing one more militant was killed,” he added.
The police identified the slain militants as a top Hizbul commander Abid Manzoor Magray alias Saju Tiger son of Manzoor Ahmed of Nowpora, Payeen, Pulwama and Bilal Ahmed Bhat resident of Urmulla, Lassipora, Pulwama and Jasim Rashid Shah.
A police spokesman said that Abid had a history of militancy since 2016 and was involved in many incidents. “Jasim as per police records and inputs available with police coupled with the family version was missing since yesterday afternoon and was part of this group,” police said.
Police sources said that Saju Tiger was a close aide of chief operational commander of Hizbul Mujahideen Riyaz Naikoo. Meanwhile, clashes between protestors and government forces rocked Shopian areas especially the natives villages of two slain militants, witnesses said. As a precautionary measure, mobile internet services have been snapped in Shopian district, the officials said.