AGH militant killed in Tral gunfight, clashes erupt, mobile internet suspended

Tral: A militant affiliated with Ansar Ghazwatul Hind (AGH) has been killed in an encounter thar raged between forces and militants in forests of Branpathri in Kahlil Tral area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
The gunfight as per police broke out following the Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) by the joint team of forces including Army’s 42 RR, CRPF and SOG in the area. Police said that CASO was launched after receiving specific inputs about the presence of militants.
On intensifying search towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon the forces, which was retaliated, thus triggering an encounter. During exchange of fire, a militant who was affiliated with Ansar Ghazwatul Hind was killed, police said, adding that soon after the culmination of gunfight, the dead body was recovered from the site.
The slain militant was identified as Shabir Ahmad Malik from Nagbal Tral. Meanwhile, police said that Shabir was initially affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) LeT and later on was part of Zakir Musa group (Ansar Ghazwatul Hind).
“Shabir, as per police records, was wanted by law for his complicity in several cases including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities. He was part of groups responsible for planning and executing terror attacks in the area,” police said.
The police statement issued on Wednesday said that several cases were registered against him including the case under FIR number 43/15 of Police Station Trikuta Nagar pertaining to the planning and making preparations for carrying out attacks in Jammu.
With the efforts of Police and forces, it was a clean operation. No collateral damage happened during the encounter, police said, adding that incriminating materials including arms and ammunition was recovered from the site of encounter. “All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other cases,” police said.
Meanwhile, police urged people to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosives materials if any. Besides, clashes erupted between youth and government forces in Tral town during the gunfight during which forces used tear gas shells to disperse the youth. Moreover, the mobile internet services were also snapped in the Awantipora Police district in wake of the gunfight.