Srinagar/ July,16 : Inspector General of Police Kashmir Ranger Vijay Kumar on Friday said two militants killed Friday morning in a gunfight with government forces did not respond to the surrender offer and instead invited retaliatory action from the government forces by firing upon them . He also said that both the militants identified by the police were load and were also responsible for several attacks on police and government forces at several places in Srinagar city besides being involved in motivating youth for joining militant raks.
In a statement issued on Friday the IGP Kashmir said “acting on a specific information generated by Srinagar Police about presence of militants in Alamdar Colony Danmar area of Srinagar city , a joint cordon and search operation was on Friday morning aunched by Police and CRPF in the said area.
Stating that during the search operation presence of militants was ascertained as they despite being given repeated opportunities to surrender fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated triggering a gunfight in the wee hours, the IGP in the above referred police statement said “In the ensuing gunfight two militants of Laskar e Toiba (name changed as TRF) were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the gunfight site after which they were identified as Irfan Ahmad Sofi son of Nazir Ahmad Sofi and Bilal Ahmad Bhat son of Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, both residents of Natipora, Srinagar and active since Dec-2020″. IGP Vijay Kumar according to the police statement further said that recently militant outfitt TRF shared on social media that militants Irfan & Bilal had left TRF and joined ISJK.
Referring to police record IGP Kashmir said ” both the slain militants were part of groups involved in several militancy related cases including attacks on Police/other government forces and civilian atrocities, adding therein that both the slain militants carried out a series of attacks on policemen, government forces and civilians include killing of PSO of PDP leader at Natipora on Dec 14 last year, ,attack on ROP of CRPF 73BN in Lawaypora resulting in martyrdom of 2 CRPF men on March 25 this year, attack in Ct Javed Ahmad Dar on June 17 this year resulting in his killing near his residence at Saidpora and attacked on 22 June this year on Inspector Parvez Ahmad at Menganwari Nowgam resulting in his killing while he was on his way to offer prayers in local Masjid. IGP Kashmir also said that they were also involved in killing of a civilian Umer Nazir Bhat on 23rd June this year at his shop in Main Chowk Habba Kadal on 23/06/2021.
Stating that both the slain militantswere also involved in a series of grenade attacks as well as petrol bomb attacks on Police and other government forces in Srinagar City, IGP Kashmir said ” they carried out a grenade attack on 7th May this year on a joint party of Police/CRPF at Nawabazar area of Srinagar in which 5 CRPF men & a civilian were injured” adding that “they carried out another grenade attack on 26th June this year on joint party of Police/CRPF at Barbarshah in which one civilian was killed and three civilians were critically injured”, stating therein further that “the slain militants also carried out grenade attack on PP Urdu Bazar on 5th March this yeae and petrol bomb attack on 26th April this yea on bunker of SSB at Mehjoor Nagar Band “.
The IGP Kashmir also said “both the slain militants were instrumental in motivating and recruiting the youth to join terror folds in Srinagar and its adjoining areas”,adding that
“incriminating materials arms and ammunition including 01 AK-47 rifle, 01 pistol and 04 grenades were recovered from the gunfight site and all the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other militancy related crimes”.
IGP Kashmir has in the statement congratulateed the joint forces of Police and CRPF for the big success that led to the elimination of two most wanted militantss who were wanted by the law for their involvement in several terror crime cases.
Revealing that police have registered a case under relevant sections of law and investigation has been also initiated, the IGP Kashmir in the above quoted statement appealed people to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared off of all the explosive materials, if any.“`
IGP Kashmir in the said statement also said that during the year 2021, so far 78 militants were in Kashmir valley and most of the militants were affiliated with militants outfits LeT , i.e,39 out of 78 followed by HM, Al-Badr, JeM & AuGH.
