Five militants killed in an overnight operation in Shopian
Making a mockery of the huge presence of security forces in South Kashmir district of Shopian one of the most wanted Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant commander Naveed Jatt on Saturday made his presence felt by attending a funeral of a militant killed in fierce gun battle with the security forces.
Naveed’s presence during the funeral has left local police authorities red-faced in the area
Unfazed by the presence of security forces Naveed not only came out on the surface but also offered the gun salute to slain militant Waqar Ahmed Sheikh at his funeral in Malikgund village of Shopian.
Naveed’s name had recently surfaced in the list of three accused behind the killing of Rising Kashmir Editor Shujaat Bukhari in Press enclave area of Srinagar on June 14.
He had earlier fled from police custody from Sri Maharaja Hari Singh hospital on February 6.
He was brought there for a medical check-up but he managed to give a slip to security guards in the hospital in which two policemen were killed in the shootout.
Naveed’s presence during the funeral has left local police authorities red-faced in the area. By coming out in this fashion Naveed Jatt has openly challenged the security forces to track him down in the area.
Till date, the security forces were desperately searching for him and by offering a gun salute he has sent a strong message that he continues to remain in control of the situation and was not afraid of the presence of security forces in the area.
Clearing Shopian remains a challenging task for security forces
Despite achieving major successes during operation all out in South Kashmir districts of Kashmir valley the security forces continue to face challenges when it comes to establishing their writ over Shopian district.
A civilian was killed and two dozen others injured in the firing near the site of the gunfight and several other places of the district.
Frequent cordon and search operations launched by the security forces may have helped them regain some lost ground but militants writ runs large in the area and they continue to dominate the rural pockets with their presence.
This is evident from the fact that large groups of militants continue to roam freely in the orchards and thickly forested area whereas security forces continue to struggle to contain their activities.
On Saturday security forces achieved major successes by eliminating five militants.
A civilian was killed and two dozen others injured in clashes following the gunfight.
“Five militants have been killed in the operation that began on Friday evening in Kiloora village,” said an army spokesman in Srinagar.
Jammu and Kashmir Police chief S.P. Vaid said four more bodies of militants were recovered from the encounter site Kiloora, Shopian, taking the toll to five.
The slain militants were identified as Arshad Ahmad of Ganowpora Balpora, Waqar Ahmad Sheikh of Malikgund, Aijaz Ahmad Paul of Lousdanew, Umar Malik of Malikgund and Arif Ahmad Mir from Yannar village of Pahalgam.
A civilian was killed and two dozen others injured in the firing near the site of the gunfight and several other places of the district.
Intruder killed inside Dr Farooq Abdullah’s residence in Jammu
In a major security lapse, an intruder was shot dead inside the residence of National Conference Chief and sitting member of Parliament from Srinagar Dr Farooq Abdullah in Bhatindi area of Jammu on Saturday morning.
Incidentally, both Dr Abdullah and his son, former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah were not present in the house at the time of the incident.
The alleged intruder, according to the police was shot dead near the stairs that led to the bedrooms of the house.
“There was an attempt of forceful entry into the house of Dr Farooq Abdullah. He (intruder) forced his way through the VIP gate in an SUV. He was unarmed and the investigation is underway,” said SD Singh Jamwal IG, Jammu Zone.
The deceased youth has been identified as 26-year-old Syeed Murfad Shah, a resident of Mendhar tehsil of Poonch.
The family of the youth is currently staying in Chinore area of Jammu.
The family members appealed to Governor NN Vohra and Prime Minister to hold a high-level inquiry behind the incident and punish the guilty responsible for killing their son
Omar Abdullah himself tweeted. “I am aware of the incident that took place at the residence my father & I share in Bhatindi, Jammu. Details are sketchy at the moment. Initial reports suggest an intruder was able to gain entry through the front door & into the upper lobby of the house”.
Police said they haven’t recovered any weapon from the site and the motive behind his alleged forced entry into the home is not clear as of now.
Angry family members gathered outside the residence of Dr Farooq Abdullah staged the sit-in protest and demanded a high-level inquiry to ascertain the truth in the matter.
“We want to see the CCTV footage of the incident” family members demanded.
Alleging foul-play, the family members claimed that the youth was first killed by the security forces and then taken inside the former CM’s residence to create an alibi.
Family members claimed Murfad was not carrying any weapons. Neither any explosive was recovered from him than why he was fired upon and not arrested by the security personnel.
His sisters and other members of the family accused the security personnel of killing him in cold blood and spreading false reports about him.
The family members appealed to Governor NN Vohra and Prime Minister to hold a high-level inquiry behind the incident and punish the guilty responsible for killing their son.
Note:
1. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
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