Hizbul commander killed in encounter in J&K's Anantnag

A self-styled commander of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit was killed while three soldiers and a civilian were injured in an overnight encounter between security forces and ultras in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on Saturday.

A police official said the gunfight broke out in remote Rishipora village of Kapran in Anantnag on Friday evening after police and army launched a cordon-and-search-operation following ‘specific’ inputs about the presence of ultras in the area.

Three soldiers and a civilian sustained injuries in the early exchange of firing with the militants, he said. All the injured were immediately airlifted to army’s 92 base hospital in Srinagar and are stated to be stable.

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Sources said as darkness descended, security forces tightened the cordon layers to ensure militants weren’t able to flee. With the first light of the morning, the security forces resumed the operation and killed Hizbul commander Nisar Khanday.

“#AnantnagEncounterUpdate: #Terrorist Commander of proscribed #terror outfit HM Nisar Khanday killed. #Incriminating materials, #arms & ammunition including 01 AK 47 rifle recovered. #Operation in progress: IGP Kashmir (sic),” Kashmir Zone Police tweeted.

Sources said police had input about the presence of two to three militants in the area and the search operation was going on to neutralize the remaining ultras, if any.

According to J&K police, in 56 encounters this year in the valley, 89 militants, including 26 Pakistanis, have been killed. However, while 89 militants have been killed in the first five months of this year, over 70 locals have joined militant ranks in the same period which is a worrisome trend, sources said.

The police have also arrested 44 active militants and 183 over ground workers (OGW). 14 civilians, including members of minority community, and 16 security personnel have also lost their lives in terror attacks this year.

Last year in 87 encounters, 168 militants were killed by the security forces in Kashmir. Among them, 19 were foreigners, while 149 were locals.