In a major offensive after the imposition of the Governor’s rule in Jammu & Kashmir, four ultras affiliated with a pan-Islamic group were killed on Friday in an encounter at Nowshahr village of Srigufwara in Anantnag district. A policeman and a civilian also were killed in the encounter. Eight security personnel were injured in a separate grenade blast in Tral sub-district of Pulwama.

A joint team of the Army, the CRPF and the police in the morning carried out search operation based on leads about the presence of terrorists in Khiram area of Sirigufwara.

“As the joint patrol made an advance towards the suspected house, terrorists hiding inside fired indiscriminately due to which policeman Ashiq Hussain and a civilian identified as Mohammad Yousuf Rather (53) received bullet injuries and later succumbed to injuries,” police spokesman said, adding that some other civilians were also injured in the gunfire.

Sources said two terrorists were killed in the initial phase of the encounter and two others were shot while trying to flee the site.

“In the encounter, all the four ultras were killed. They have been identified as Dawood Ahmad Sofi, Majid Manzoor Dar, Aadil Rehman Bhat and Mohammad Ashraf Itoo,” he added.

The social media profiling and inputs indicate that they were inspired by ISIS module, the police spokesman said.

Sofi (33), police said, was a resident of Zainakoot village on the outskirts of Srinagar city. He was involved in a number of stone-pelting cases in the area prior to joining the terror outfit.

“He (Sofi) was involved in a terror attack which resulted in the death of two policemen at Bagh Ali Mardan Khan in Zadibal and also in the killing of a policeman and snatching his rifle at Tengpora Batamaloo besides other terror attacks,” the spokesman said.

“Initially Dawood was known to be affiliated with Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen outfit.

“This terrorist organisation was active on social media and mostly attacked the policemen on duty at different places,” the spokesman added.

“Incriminating material and a huge quantity of ammunition were also seized from the site of the encounter.”

Sofi’s death sparked protests and shutdown in several parts of Srinagar as people came out of homes to receive his body for burial.

Security sources said the civilian, who was killed in the gunfire, was the owner of the house where terrorists were hiding. His wife also sustained fire arm injuries and was hospitalised.

Two critically injured youths among several injured were shifted to Srinagar hospital for advanced treatment. Over a dozen protesters were injured during intense clashes between protesters and the security forces near the gunfight site.

The authorities snapped internet services in Anantnag, Pulwama and Srinagar districts soon after the encounter triggered.

Two Armymen were also reportedly injured in the initial phase of operation.

This is the second encounter in south Kashmir area after the counter-insurgency operations resumed in the State following withdrawal of month-long halt on such operations in the wake of Ramzan. Earlier, three Jaish-e-Muhammad terrorists were killed in an encounter in Tral area on Wednesday.

In another incident, four CRPF personnel and as many policemen were injured after unidentified terrorists attacked a joint patrolling party of police and CRPF in Tral sub-district of south Kashmir.

Security officials said ultras hurled a grenade towards a joint deployment inflicting splinter injuries to eight security personnel including 4 CRPF jawans.

The injured personnel were shifted to hospital.

Courtesy: The Pioneer, Saturday, 23 June 2018 | Khursheed Wani | Srinagar