Hizbul militant gunned down in Kashmir encounter

A Hizbul Mujahideen militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in central Kashmir on Sunday, police and army officials said.

A Hizbul Mujahideen militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in central Kashmir on Sunday, police and army officials said.

The gun fight was triggered after a cordon and search operation was launched by a joint party of forces including police and army at Bugam in Chadoora area of Budgam district. (PTI file photo)

The gun fight was triggered after a cordon and search operation was launched by a joint party of forces including police and army at Bugam in Chadoora area of Budgam district.

Police spokesman Manoj Kumar said militants fired on the search party forcing them to retaliate. “In the ensuing encounter, a terrorist was killed,” he said.

“The slain terrorist has been identified as Hilal Bhat from Armulla Pulwama. Affiliated with proscribed terror outfit HM. Involved in several terror crime cases,” Kashmir police said in a tweet later.

The police recovered arms and ammunition from the site of encounter. Earlier on Friday, a Pakistani Jaish-e-Mohammad militant was killed in a gun battle with security forces in the Budgam district.

Civilian shot at by ‘militants’

Suspected militants shot at a 25-year-old man in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Sunday, police said. Sameer Ahmad Ahanger was critically injured after he was fired upon by the militants at Old Town area of the north Kashmir district, an officer said on condition of anonymity

Ahanger was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. The security forces have launched a hunt to nab the attackers, the officer added.

(With PTI inputs)