HuM commander among 3 militants killed

Srinagar: Three militants including divisional commander of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) were killed in two separate encounters with joint team of police and army in Kashmir valley on Saturday. Official sources told that following specific information about the presence of militants, Police 22 RR and CRPF threw a cordon around Muslim Peer locality in Sopore town of north Kashmir. “Militants fired upon the joint party from the house of Dr Mohammad Ramzan Sofi, which was retaliated,” a police official told. He said that in the ensuing encounter a militant identified as Chota Kalimullah alias Shamsher alias Talwar Bhai divisional commander of Harkut-ul- Mujahideen (HuM) outfit was killed. One AK 47 rifle, six magazines of AK and a pistol magazine was recovered from the encounter site. “The operation was still in progress. Area is being searched.” Sources said that the joint team believed that three militants were under trap. In another encounter, police, CRPF and 44 RR killed two militants of Lashker-e-Toiba in a gunfight in southern Kashmir’s Shopian district. The slain duo, which had joined armed ranks only 20 days back, was involved in snatching of weapons from the police personals at Yaripora Kulgam this week, a police official said.He said that the team launched a joint cordon-and-search operation at Lehnd, Habdipora village last night following information about the presence of militants in the area.    They said that joint team zeroed-in on the house of one Riyaz Ahmad Bhat son of Amber Bhat. “The militants were offered to surrender but they resorted to firing which was retaliated,” the official said. During the ensuing encounter, two militants identified as Khursheed Ahmad Itoo son of Ghulam Mohammad of Raiban Khajipora and Ishfaq Ahmad Chopan alias Mitha Chopan son of Abdul Hamid of Harmain Shopian were killed. “The weapons snatched from Police party in Yaripora Kulgam were recovered from the site of encounter.” On March 07 last, two Police man were attacked in Yaripora Town by the militants and decamped with an AK 47 and one INSAS Rifle.  Both these militants had recently joined LeT and were directed by the Divisional Commander Abu Rehman of Pakistan to snatch weapons from police, the police official added.