Srinagar: A top Harkat-ul-Mujahideen
militant, suspected to be mastermind behind the suicide attack
in Lal Chowk area here early this year, was today killed along
with another ultra in an encounter with security forces in
Sopore town of North Kashmir.
The 20-hour fierce gunbattle also left a soldier dead and
the house of a government employee destroyed, an official
spokesman said.
The slain self-styled divisional commander has been
identified as Nouman, a Pakistani national, he said.
Giving details of the encounter, a police spokesman said
that on specific information, troops of 52 Rashtriya Rifles
and police laid a siege to Haigam-Sopore area, 50 kms from
here, yesterday.
He said as the joint party started search operations, two
militants of HuM opened fire from a house killing army jawan
Sanjay Kumar belonging to the Rashtriya Rifles yesterday.
The security forces tightened the cordon around the house
from where the militants were firing and engaged them. During
the ensuing encounter, which lasted till this morning, Nouman
alias Mooch Wala and local militant, Arif, were eliminated,
the spokesman said.
He said Nouman, a `Divisional Commander` of HuM, also
known here as `Mike Islam`, was involved in a `fidayeen`
attack at Lal Chowk on January 7 which left four persons dead
and 11 others injured. The deceased were two members of the
suicide squad, a policeman and civilian.
Nouman was also involved in a number of police and
civilian killings in Sopore and Baramulla town of North
Kashmir, the spokesman said.
He said Nouman was also involved in the killing of a
police constable and three CRPF men at Sopore Bus Stand, the
mother of a Special Police Officer and a head constable in
Sopore this year.
PTI
