A militant and a soldier were killed while another trooper was injured in a fierce gunfight in Ladoora area of Rafiabad in Baramulla district on Wednesday, police said.A police official told Srinagar-based news agency GNS that after receiving specific information, a cordon and search operation was launched in Ladoora area of Rafiabad by army’s 32 RR and SOG. “As the under search operation was underway, the militant hiding in a residential house started firing on the search parties triggering an encounter,” he said.The official said that in the ensuing encounter two army troopers sustained injuries and they were immediately hospitalized. He said later one of the injured troopers Sishar Malla succumbed to his injuries.
Sources said that the forces, after death of a soldier, decided to blast the house where militant was present. They said that with the help of IEDs the forced blasted the house resulting in death of the hiding militant. The militant was later identified as Riyaz Ahmad of Brath Kalan Sopore, who was associated with newly floated Lashkar-e-Islam outfit led by Qayoom Najar.A police spokesperson in a statement issued to GNS said that said militant was involved in a number of killings in Sopore and adjoining areas including those of Hurriyat (G) activists and former militants.“He was involved in threatening and terrorizing the land lords of mobile towers and mobile franchise owners. This year the slain militant was involved in the killing of a BSNL franchise in June, two employees were injured in this regard number of FIR’s stand registered against the militant,” he said.
The militant had joined the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit last year. He was operating along with Imtiyaz kandoo alias Fayaz and Adil Mir of Hizb, the police said.“On 20 December, 2014, he along with Mehraj Halwai and Adil Mir killed Bomai Sarpanch namely Ghulam Mohammad Bhat. He was involved in grenade blast in Dangerpora orchards in which three civilians got killed. He was involved in grenade attack on police and Army at Kupwara crossing. On 21 February 2014, he killed one civilian namely Waseem Malla,” the police spokesperson said.While continuing, he said: “On May 25 2015, the subject along with other accomplices was involved in the killing of Mohammad Rafiq. The slain militant was involved in terrorizing landlords of mobile towers. On May 26, he along with Adil Mir killed Ghulam Hassan, a landlord of a cellular tower.”The police said that the slain militant was involved in the killings of Hurriyat (G) activists and ex-militants this year in Sopore. “He was also involved in killing of one Hurriyat activist Sheikh Altaf-ur-Rehman. Riyaz was also involved in the killing of another Hurriyat activist Khursheed Ahmed outside his home. He was involved in the killing of an ex militant Mehraj-u-din Dar. He was involved in the killing of another former militant Aijaz Ahmad Reshi,” the police spokesperson said. (GNS)