Police in Jammu and Kashmir said on Thursday they have killed a militant, who had escaped from Pattan town of Baramulla district on Wednesday after lobbing a grenade at policemen searching vehicles injuring three of them, including an officer.
A police spokesperson said Showkat Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Awantipore who managed to flee after attacking the policemen, was killed during Wednesday night in Pulwama and that arms and ammunition were recovered from him.
“He was an active militant of Tahreek-ul-Mujahideen militant group and was wanted in Pattan grenade incident,’’ the spokesperson said.
One militant was arrested soon after the attack and identified as Faizan Majeed Bhat of Naibough Tral.
Police said both had joined militancy in the first week of this month and posted their pictures on the social media along with weapons. Faizan was a student of Class 11 and Showkat was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy.
They said both were affiliated with Tahreek-ul-Mujahideen and after joining the group they were active in Sopore town and its adjoining areas.
A senior police officer said both were in Sopore and had plans to reach south Kashmir when they were intercepted by the policemen on the national highway near Pattan. They had hurled a grenade on a police check post injuring deputy superintendent of police Zaffar Ahmad, special police officer Shabir Ahmad and Ashiq Hussain.
{{/usCountry}}A senior police officer said both were in Sopore and had plans to reach south Kashmir when they were intercepted by the policemen on the national highway near Pattan. They had hurled a grenade on a police check post injuring deputy superintendent of police Zaffar Ahmad, special police officer Shabir Ahmad and Ashiq Hussain.
{{/usCountry}}“We had received information that militants were crossing the Baramulla-Srinagar national highway. Based on the information, a police party was deployed at a naka on the highway,” Baramulla’s senior superintendent of police (SSP) Imtiaz Hussain said.
Hussain said the two men were in a car and left it to board a passenger vehicle after noticing the police checking. They lobbed a grenade on the policemen when the vehicle, which they had boarded, was stopped.
“One militant fled towards Pattan and another towards Palhalan village. We managed to capture one militant alive, while the other militant and the person who was driving the Alto car escaped from the spot,’’ he said.
Police claim militants are trying to revive Tahreek-ul-Mujahideen and both the militants had plans to set up a base in south Kashmir for the group.
A senior officer said that a module of Tahreek-ul-Mujahideen militants is active in Sopore town and it is touch in some people in south Kashmir.
“The pictures in which both these militants were seen portraying with guns were actually released in Sopore. Even the car to pick them was arranged from south Kashmir,” the officer said.