Chadoora/Tral, Dec 26, (KMW): Government Forces Thursday claimed that it gunned down a Pakistani militant who was directly responsible for killing the Station House Officer (SHO) Chadoora Shabir Ahmed. The suspected militant was shot dead during the wee hours on Thursday at Hushroo Chadoora in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district after 14 hours long gun fight. Meanwhile, suspected militants managed to gave a slip to Government Forces in Tral area of South Kashmir after the Security Forces cordoned off Gadpora hamlet during the dead of the night. There was a brief exchange of fire, however, militants according to police sources managed to escape.
As reported earlier militants had opened fire on SOG party at Achkoot village of Budgam on Tuesday evening when the cops were on way for a search operation.
Hours after the attack, large contingents of police, CRPF and Army cordoned off scores of hamlets of Budgam including Achkoot, Ichgam, Munipapy, Dangarpora, Chitroo and Kargam.
Police sources told that police, Special Operation Group, CRPF and Army personnel from 53 RR cordoned off Hushroo Dangarpora village after the confirmed reports about the presence of militants in the area. The militant according to reports was present in a single storey house of one Nazir Ahmed Dar son of Late Ghulam Hassan.
Sources said that Security Forces laid a siege around the house to trap the militants. However, they faced stiff resistance from the militant who was holed up in the said house. Reports said that the militant indiscriminately fired upon security party as a result there was chaos in the ranks of Government Forces.
The Army and Police had reports about the presence of two militants in the house, however, reports said that one militant was able to give slip to the Forces shortly before the start of search operations.
After 14 hours long gun fight, the Forces managed to neutralize one militant when they blasted the house by using powerful improvised explosive device (IED). The house was completely damaged in the blast while the dead body of the militant was later on recovered from the debris lying in scattered form there.
Police identified the slain militant as Omar Bilal who according to Superintendent of Police Budgam belonged to Lashkar Toiba and was a Pakistani National. However, according to reports the slain militant identified as Showkat Ahmed is from Lelhara Kakapora who before joining the ranks of militants used to run a automobile shop.
SP, Budgam Irshad Ahmed told reporters that slain militant was involved in the killing of SHO Chadoora Shabir Ahmed earlier this month. “Omar was active in Central Kashmir from past 3 years and he was involved in a number of militancy related activities,†Irshad Ahmed said.
Meanwhile, SOG and Army personnel from 42 RR cordoned off Gadpora Wagad areas of Tral in South Kashmir during the preceding night after receiving inputs about the presence of militants in the area. However, the suspected militants fired upon the search party and managed to give slip to them. Reports said that Army started search operations but could not find any militant in the area.
