Three militants of Zakir Musa led al-Qaeda group killed in Kashmir

Civilian dies in forces firing during subsequent protests

Three militants of Zakir Musa-led Ghazwat ul-Hind terror outfit were killed in an ongoing encounter with security forces in volatile Tral area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Wednesday.

A civilian was also killed while several others were injured when security forces fired at a mob of protesters who threw stones at a nearby army camp.

Sources said based on a specific input about the presence of four to five militants, troops of army's 42-Rashtriya Rifles battalion CRPF 180 battalion and special operations group (SOG) of J&K police cordoned off Gulab Bagh area of Tral, 32 km from here, on Wednesday afternoon.

"The militants were taking a bath when they were zeroed in by security forces. As the security forces were zeroing in on the militants, intense gunfire raged between the two sides. While two militants were killed near bathing spot, one managed to enter a house nearby. However he too was shot dead," they said.

The slain militants have been identified as Zahid Ahmed Bhat from Nawdal Tral, Ishfaq Ahmed from Batgund Tral and Ashraf Dar from Trich, Pulwama. While Zahid and Ishaq had joined militancy in 2015, Ashraf followed them in September 2016.

Earlier, rumors were flying thick and fast that Global terror outfit al Qaeda cell Ghazwat ul-Hind chief Zakir Musa was trapped in the encounter. The slain militants were seen in photographs of Zakir Musa with his group, which were released recently.

A senior police officer said the slain militants were local cadres of Musa group. "The trio  till recently were working for Hizbul Mujahideen outfit led by Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir based Syed Salahuddin. However, they changed the loyalities recently to Musa group. The current trend shows a clear disaffection among cadres of existing militant outfits, and Musa's appeal among them," he revealed.

Hizbul spokesperson Burhanuddin was quoted by a local news gatehring agency CNS as syaing that the slain militants were re-joining them after leaving “so-called” Ansar Ghazwatul Hind group led by Musa and on way got killed in a gunfight.

Meanwhile, reports said, as the word spread about the killing of three local militants, people took to streets in several areas of Tral and Pulwama and pelted stones on security forces. Muhammad Younis Sheikh, 16, was critically injured after forces fired on protesters in Gulab Bagh village. He was shifted to SMHS hospital in Srinagar where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

An official said that mobile Internet services were suspended in Pulwama district to prevent the “spreading of rumours.”

With militancy, especially home grown, on rise, security forces have launched a massive operation to flush out the ultras. Nearly 130 militants, including topcommanders Abu Dujana, Bashir Lashkari and Junaid Mattoo, have been killed so far this year in the Valley, which is highest in the last eight years. The security forces are going after militants as part of operation "hunt down" and on the basis of a “hit list” of militants.

In the first nine-days of this month, 23 people, including 17 militants, four civilians and two army personnel have been killed in militancy related incidents.