A militant was killed in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday morning.Reports said that after receiving inputs about the presence of at least three militants in Dalipora Babgund area of Pulwama district, the government forces brought the hamlet under siege and zeroed in on the house of one Muhammad Shafi.The militant present in the house resorted to indiscriminate firing while in retaliation army soldiers from 55 Rashtriya Rifles, SOG Pulwama, 182 and 183 Battalion CRPF killed a local militant whom police identified as Shabir Ahmed alias Ahsan of Samboora Pampora.If sources are to be believed, the deserted army soldier turned militant Zahoor Ahmed Thokar escaped from the spot along with a critically injured militant Showkat Nazir Dar of Muran Pulwama. Sources added that Zahoor handed over Showkat to a group of local women who shifted him to Primary Health Centrea Newa. Keeping the condition of Showkat in view, he was referred to SMHS Hospital Srinagar where he breathed the last after a couple of hours.A police official said that an AK-47 rifle and 3 magazines were recovered from the spot.
He said the killing of Shabir is a big setback to militant outfit Hizbul Mujhadeen as he was working for the organization from past three years and was involved in multiple incidents of militancy.Eyewitnesses told news agency CNS that clashes erupted even during the middle of the night between protesters and Forces. The sound of bullets and tear smoke shells created panic in the area. The house was damaged completely in the gunfight while authorities deployed army soldiers in the town to enforce declared curfew.Reports said that clashes erupted in Newa,Kakapora and main town of Pulwama where Forces used tear-smoke shells to disperse the protesters who raised pro-freedom slogans.Thousands of people participated in the last rites of slain militant Shabir Ahmed at his native Samboora village. Men, women, children and old assembled at local ground to have the last glimpse of the slain militant.