Top Commander among 5 militants killed in Shopian gunfight

Shopian : A top commander was among the five militants killed on Wednsday in a gunfight in SouthKashmir’s Shopian district.
A police official said five militants, including a top commander, were killed in a gunfight that broke out between government forces and militants during a cordon and search operation launched on specific information about the presence of militants in Sugoo village of the district.
The official said “a joint team of police, army’s 44 RR and CRPF launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) on specific information about the presence of militants in the village Sugoo during which militants hiding in a shed in an orchard fired upon forces, triggering a gunfight. All the five militants were killed in the heavy exchange of fire” .
Notably this was the third gunfight in the district in last four days. 14 militants including some top commanders were killed in these gunfights.
On June 07, five militants including three top commanders of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen were killed in an encounter at Reban area of the district.
On June 8, four militants including two commanders were killed in an encounter at Pinjura area of the district.
A police spokesman said that on a specific input generated by Shopian Police regarding presence of militants in village Sugoo Handhama Shopian, a joint CASO was launched by Police, 44 RR and 178 Bn CRPF in said area.
“During the search operation, the hiding militants fired on the joint search party. The fire was retaliated leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, five militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter,” he said.
He said the identification and affiliation of the killed militants is being ascertained. “However, as per credible sources the killed militants belonged to proscribed militant outfits. As per source report militants belong to HM and LeT.
One of them is district commander of HM,” he said, adding that police and SFs conducted the operation professionally and no collateral damage occurred. He said that incriminating material including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter.
“All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other crimes. In this connection a case under relevant sections of law stands registered in Police Station Zainapora and investigation has been initiated,” the police said