J&K: Two residential houses attached in two south Kashmir districts on charges of harbouring militants

Sources said that one of the houses is where then Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riayz Naikoo was killed along with his associate in an encounter with the security forces in May, 2020.

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): The Jammu and Kashmir administration has attached two residential houses in two districts of south Kashmir on charges of harbouring militants, local inputs said. It is learnt that one of the attached houses is where an encounter took place in the year 2019 where a Deputy Superintendent of Police and an army soldier were killed in an encounter while as in the second house, then Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo was killed in another encounter in 2020.

According to the local inputs, the Jammu and Kashmir Police attached the residential house of one Azad Ahmad Teli at Beighpora area of Awantipora in south Kashmir's Pulwama district. The residential house was attached on the orders of Court of Special Judge Pulwama, sources said. It can be recalled that an encounter between militants and security forces had taken place at the house of Teli in May 2020, in which two militants including the then Hizbul Mujahideen commander namely Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo alias Zubair-ul-Islam, a local resident of Beighpora were killed.

Besides Naikoo, a second militant namely Adil Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Panjran Pulwama was also killed in the encounter. It is learnt that Teli's house has been attached under the relevant sections of UAPA. Besides Teli's house, police have also attached the residential house of one Sanaullah Mir at Turigam in south Kashmir's Kulgam in another militancy case.

The owner of the house has been accused of harbouring three hardcore militants during an encounter in 2019 in which DSP Thakur and army soldier Soumveer were killed.