After COVID formalities, militant was laid to rest in Baramulla
Umar Rashid
Pulwama, August 12: A Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militant Commander and a soldier were killed in a gunfight in South Kashmir’s Pulwama village on Wednesday.
An official told Kashmir Despatch that the gunfight broke out following hours-long siege as contingents of the army, Police and CRPF cordoned off Kamrazipora area of Pulwama in wee hours of Wednesday.
The officer said gunshots were heard early morning after the security forces approached the spot where the militant was present.
He said In the gunfight one militant was killed while an army soldier was injured and was rushed to the hospital for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries.
Meanwhile police identified slain militant as Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Commander Azaad Lalhari of Pulwahma.
In a statement issued to Kashmir, Despatch police said 01 militant was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of encounter. He has been identified as Azaad Lalhari resident of Pulwama. During the said encounter, two Army jawans also received bullet injuries and were shifted to hospital for treatment. However, one of the injured Army jawan succumbed to his injuries and attained martyrdom. We pay our rich tributes to the martyr for his supreme sacrifices in the line of duty.
As per police records, Azaad was affiliated with proscribed militant outfit HM. According to the Police records, Azaad had a history of terror crime records and was involved in planning and executing several militant attacks in the area. Several militant crime cases were registered against him including Case FIR No. 112/2020 pertaining to the killing of HC Anoop Singh at Prichoo Pulwama, besides he was also involved in other crime cases including FIR No.’s 274/2014, 121/2015, 21/2017, 48/2017, 36/2020 of district Pulwama and case FIR No. 263/2017 of district Budgam.
Incriminating materials including arms & ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe his complicity in other terror crimes.
Meanwhile, police in a statement said that Keeping in view the prevailing pandemic due to COVID-19 and to ensure the safety of people from the inherent risk of contracting the infection, the dead body of the killed militant was sent to Baramulla for his burial & last rites after completion of medico-legal formalities. The nearest family members of the killed militant were allowed to participate in the last rites at Baramulla.
