Kashmir police on Wednesday said that one of the key accused in the lynching of deputy superintendent of police, Muhammad Ayub Pandith, was killed along with two other militants in an encounter with security forces at Redbug village of central Kashmir’s Budgam district. Two security personnel were injured in the encounter.
Police said Sajad Ahmad Gilkar of Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar had played a key role in the lynching of Pandtih on the intervening night of June 22 and 23.
Pandith was attacked by a mob at Jamia Masjid on suspicion that he was a government agent on a secret mission. Gilkar's name surfaced during the investigation into the murder.
“After the incident (lynching of Pandith), he went underground and joined Hizbul Mujahideen,'' the police statement said. ''He was also involved in grenade attacks on CRPF at Nowhatta, Safa Kadal and in a grenade attack on the police party at Khanyar on April 30''.
The statement said Gilkar was also involved in the attacks on one Abdul Qayoom in Barzulla and on army convoy near SKIMS Bemina on April 1.
Two other militants killed in the encounter have been identified as Aaqib Gul of Srinagar and Javaid Ahmad Sheikh of Beerwah in Budgam.
It was after many years that two militants from capital city, Srinagar, was killed in an encounter.
“They were involved in weapon snatching incidents in the south and central Kashmir, and also carried out anti-national activities,'' the statement said. ''Javaid Sheikh was involved in a number of attacks on security forces and central Kashmir also.”
Police said the encounter broke out during a search operation in Redbug on Tuesday night, after the militants hiding in the area fired on the forces.
“The militants were asked to surrender through their family members, but they refused and fired indiscriminately. In the ensuing encounter, the three militants were killed,'' the statement said.
Scores of people clashed with security forces when the bodies of militants reached their homes.
Curfew-like restrictions were imposed in the old city to keep a lid on the situation. Mobile internet was
also suspended in some parts of central Kashmir.
This was the first encounter in Kashmir valley after militants ambushed a bus carrying Amarnath Yatris at Botengoo village in Anantnag killing seven and injuring 19 on Monday.
