Srinagar, May 06: In a major breakthrough, Chief Operation Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen was killed today in an encounter in Ganz Khud area of the city, official sources said. Following a tip off, a joint team of police and CRPF cordoned off a house in Dowtown City and asked the Hizb commander, who was operating under the alias of Gazi Shahabuddin, to surrender, the sources said.
However, he opened fire and security forces retaliated killing the Hizb commander, they said. The elimination of Shahabuddin, whose real name was Abdul Rashid Shardar, a resident of Khanmoh, is seen as a major blow to Hizbul Mujahideen which has already lost several top commanders this year, including Gazi Nasiruddin and Riyaz Rasool, sources said.
Shahabuddin, one of the top ranking commanders of Hizbul Mujahideen active since the eruption of militancy, had been promoted as acting chief operations commander following killing of Gazi Nasiruddin, they said.
Earlier, sources had said two militants were believed to be holed up in the house but after the search operation only one body was recovered from the site of the encounter. Bureau Report