A highly qualified local Hizb militant from South Kashmir was killed in an encounter with government forces in South Kashmir on Wednesday while two of his associates managed to flee from the spot of incident.The gun fight between militants and government forces including Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Force personnel and Special Operation Group started in an apple orchard at Bewoora Marhama village of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district. “We had received an information that a group of militants will pass through an apple orchard. As we laid the ambush, militant appeared there and shortly a gunfight started. A militant was killed on spot while two others managed to escape. The search for them is going on,” a police official told news agency CNS.The deceased has been identified a 24 year old B.Tech student Basit Ahmed Dar alias Sameer son of Ghulam Rasool Dar a resident of Marhama Bijbehara.Basit, the son of a Bank Manager according to family sources had gone missing two months ago and had joined militant ranks. He was the alumni of Islamic University of Science and Technology Awantipora.Massive protests erupted after the killing of the militant in the area while government forces conducted door to door search operations and checked the identity cards of the people.
Eyewitnesses said that people took to streets amid the heavy presence of Army and Para Military troopers and clashes erupted in Bijbehara, Kanelwan, Bewoora and Srigufwara areas of the district after the news of death of Basit Rasool spread in the area.The government forces used tear-smoke shells and pellets to quell the protests. At least four persons from Sri Gupwara were injured during the clashes.Witnesses said that a large number of people participated in the last rites of the slain militant. He was buried in local graveyard at Marhama amid pro-freedom slogans. Senior Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani addressed mourners on phone and paid rich tributes to the departed soul.Meanwhile, authorities suspended mobile phone services in several areas of Sopore as an encounter raged on in Bomai area of the Baramulla district in north Kashmir. A senior police officer said that the telephony services were temporarily suspended to stop rumours about the encounter. Earlier, Army and police cordoned off the Bomai area after inputs about the presence of militants.Eyewitnesses said that government forces blasted the house in which a non-local militant whom police identified as Abu Bakar from Pakistan was killed. A police official said that an Army man also suffered injuries during the encounter. The killing of the militant sparked violent protest while the people took to roads and raised massive pro-freedom slogans. (CNS)