Jammu and Kashmir: Hizbul Mujahideen militant gunned down in Anantnag encounter; Chinese hand grenade, SLR recovered

Srinagar: A newly-recruited local militant of Hizbul Mujahideen was killed in an overnight encounter with security forces in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, security officials said on Friday.

An unidentified person also lost his life in the ensuing crossfire.

One SLR (self-loading rifle), 2 magazines, 40 rounds of ammunition, one Chinese hand grenade and a pouch were recovered from the slain terrorist. 

The encounter broke late Thursday night at Kanibal in Bijbehara of Anantnag district, 55 kms from Srinagar, when the Jammu and Kashmir Police along with Rashtriya Rifles and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) cordoned off a village following an intelligence input about the presence of militants, security officials said.

During the encounter, which lasted for two hours, one militant identified as Yawar Nissar Shergujri alias Algazi, hailing from Anantnag, was killed while two other militants managed to escape under the cover of darkness, they said, adding that one soldier of Rashtriya Rifles, Rifleman Rohit Kumar, also sustained bullet injury but was stated to be stable.

"During a search operation, terrorists fired at the search party resulting in an exchange of fire. Around midnight, taking advantage of darkness, two terrorists fired and managed to slip away from the cordon," a police spokesperson said.

"The outer party of the Army retaliated the firing from fleeing terrorists. Later, it was learnt that a person riding a motorcycle was killed in the cross-firing," he said. 

Yawar, who was allegedly a "chronic stone pelter" of the area, had joined the militant outfit in the first week of last month, they said, adding that an SLR looted earlier from a police guard was recovered from him.

During the encounter, one motorcycle-borne individual, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, was found dead with bullet injuries, the officials said, expressing apprehension that he might have died in the crossfire.

The number plate of the vehicle was damaged and no identity card of the deceased was found.

Two mobile phones were recovered from the deceased who was in multi-layered clothing. The telephone contacts in his handset could not immediately help to confirm his identity.

The local police have released his picture for identification.

According to the officials, the body of Yawar was handed over to his family for burial and restrictions were imposed in the town as a preventive measure.

(With Agency inputs)