A “hybrid militant” was killed in an encounter a day after he was arrested by the police for allegedly killing two non-local labourers in a grenade attack, drawing condemnation from political parties.

The police said Imran Bashir Ganaie, 24, was arrested hours after two labourers from Uttar Pradesh were killed in a grenade attack at Harmen village in Shopian.

“Based on the disclosure of the arrested hybrid terrorist and in continuous raids by the police and security forces, another contact was established between the terrorists and the security forces at Nowgam, Shopian. Ganaie was killed by the firing of another terrorist,” the Kashmir zone police tweeted.

The police said joint raids along with security forces were launched on the basis of the disclosures made by the accused about terrorists and their hideouts.

In one of the raids on a hideout at Dongri Nala near Landoora bridge, the militants managed to escape from the spot after initial fire, the police said. “Following his (Ganaie’s) disclosure, another raid was conducted in Nowgam orchards of Shopian where he had earlier met with other terrorists responsible for his recruitment in terror ranks besides providing a grenade to him,” the police said.

A joint anti-terrorist operation was launched in the area in the wee hours of Wednesday after the accused “agreed to show the exact place of the hideout” in the orchards, the police said.

“During the search operation, the hiding terrorists fired upon the joint search party, in which the arrested hybrid terrorist, who was leading the search party for identifying the place, got injured. He was shifted to a hospital where he was declared brought dead,” the police said.

“Taking advantage of the darkness, the terrorists managed to escape from the spot,” the police said, adding that incriminating materials, arms and ammunition were recovered from the spot.

Former CM and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti said security forces were using “dubious nomenclature—hybrid militant and chance encounters—to justify civilian killings” in Kashmir. “The killings of Pandits and labourers are condemnable but the death of an accused by militants while he was in police custody gives rise to allegations that it was part of the catch-and-kill policy,” she added.

Courtesy: The Tribune India : 19th Oct , 2022