Srinagar: Vijay Kumar, Inspector General Police, Kashmir on Friday said that four militants responsible for the killing of Khanmoh panch have been gunned down during a gunfight in south Kashmir's Shopian district.
"Al Badar's district commander Shakoor Parray and aide Suhail Bhat were killed during the Shopian gunfight today. A total of five militants of Al Badar group were behind the killing of Khanmoh's panch whose body was recovered from an orchard in Shopian earlier today," Kumar said.
Giving details about the Shopian gunfight, the IGP said, "The gunfight erupted at Killora village during a cordon and search operation which was launched by the joint teams of police, Army's 44RR and CRPF following an input about the militants' presence in the area. As the area was being cordoned off, the hiding militants opened fire upon security forces triggering a gunfight."
He said, "Four militants, including Parray and Bhat, were gunned down during the exchange of fire. One militant was caught alive while he was trying to flee from the spot. And, eventually, he surrendered before the security forces present at the spot. Two AK rifles and three pistols have also been recovered from the slain militants."
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According to the IGP, the identity of the remaining militants will be ascertained once the operation ends and all the bodies are recovered.
Meanwhile, the administration has snapped internet services in the area as a preventive security measure.
Interestingly, a bullet-riddled body of a missing panch was recovered from the orchards of Dangam area of the district today morning. Dangam is around five kilometres from the gunfight site. Nissar Ahmad Bhat, the panch from Khonmoh, was missing from August 19, 2020.
