Srinagar gunfight: Sehrai’s son Junaid among 2 militants killed, Mob phone, internet services snapped across Sgr

Srinagar: Two militants were killed and two security men were on Tuesday injured in a Gunfight in Nawakadal area of Srinagar, police said on Tuesday.
A top police official said that both the militants belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit were killed. The encounter which strated at around 3 PM witnessed exchange of firing from both sides after joint team of forces launched cordon search operation in Nawakadal.
“Though there was a lull upto 8 Am in the morning when fresh firing started. Arms and ammunition has also been recovered, “a police spokesperson said. He added that as the joint team of forces approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them, triggering an encounter. Reports also said both the houses where militants were hiding have been blasted.Mobile calling except (BSNL) and internet services continue to remain suspended in Srinagar.
At a presser called in Srinagar after the gunfight the Director General of J&K police Dilbagh Singh Tuesday said that the one of the two slain militants of Nawa Kadal encounter have been identified as Hizbul Mujahideen’s divisional commander for Central Kashmir Junaid Sehrai, the son of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat chairman Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai.
Police have identified the second slain militant as Tariq Ahmed Sheikh from Pulwama district of South Kashmir. Sehrai is from Hyderpora area of Srinagar. He originally hails from Kuwpara district. At present, his father is living and was living in Hyderpora area of Srinagar. Junaid, the youngest son of Sehrai, was MBA pass out and joined militancy in March 2018.
Addressing press conference in Srinagar DGP Singh said that in the operation that started last night at Nawa Kadal area and culminated this afternoon, Hizbul Mujahideen’s divisional commander for Central Kashmir Junaid Sehrai was killed. “Sehrai was assigned the task of heading Central Kashmir areas,” he said.
The DGP said while replying to a query what were the two slain militants doing in Srinagar, he said that they were tasked to lure youth into militancy and for grenade throwing. “Junaid would hold meetings with the youth and lure them towards militancy,” he said. “Junaid would also operate in Pulwama and Shopain along with his associate Tariq. There were half a dozen FIRs against him.”
The DGP said that Nawa Kadal operation was a clean one as only one residential house caught fire which was controlled immediately. “The first thing we did in the morning was to evacuate the inmates. In that process, two forces personnel—one from CRPF and another from J&KP’s SoG were injured. In the final assault, the remaining militant hurled a grenade in which two CRPF men sustained injured but all the injured are stable,” he said.
Asked how many militants are active in Srinagar, the DGP said that number keeps on floating and in entire Central Kashmir, the number is just 14. About the total active militants in Kashmir at present, he said the number is far less than the last year.
“Not more than 240 militants are active in Kashmir,” he said, adding that 73 militants were killed this year so far and 95 militants and their associates were arrested. Today’s encounter was first after two years in Srinagar. Last encounter was reported in Chattabal area of Srinagar in 2018.
Meanwhile, the authorities had snapped mobile voice call services and disabled mobile internet services on all platforms except BSNL in Srinagar district in the wake of an encounter