Top Al Badr commander and IED expert Zeenat-ul-Islam along with a militant have been killed in an encounter between militants and security forces in Katapora area of Yaripora in South Kashmir's Kulgam district on yesterday evening.A joint team of army's 35RR and SOG Kulgam launched cordon and search operation (CASO) in Katpora after having credible input about presence of some militants including Zeenat ul Islam in the area.As the joint team of forces approached the suspected spot, the hiding militants opened fire, triggering a gunfight.In the ensuing encounter, top Al-Badr commander Zeenat-ul-Islam alias Dr Usman of Chilipora, Shopian and Shakeel Ahmed Dar were killed, police official told Valley Media Service.“In a joint operation by the Army, Police and CRPF, two militants were killed. As per policy, the militants were given an opportunity to surrender. The militants however, continued to fire and were killed in the ensuing gunfight,” Srinagar based defence spokesman Rajesh Kalia told Valley Media Service.The militants have been identified as Zeenat ul Islam and Shakeel Ahmed Dar. Weapons and other warlike stores recovered. Operations concluded, he added.Zeenat ul Islam of Shopian’s volatile Sugan joined Lashkar-eToiba (LeT), a militant outfit in November 2015.Before joining militancy, he was helping his father economically and were struggling to pay the bills.In between, he completed his Bachelors in Arts and got married.Considered as an Improvised explosive device (IED) expert, Islam joined militant ranks in 2015. He was now commander of Al Badr outfit.A key recruiters Zeenat was one of three militants surviving from Army’s list of 12 most wanted militants. Ansar Ghazwat ul Hind chief Zakir Musa is number one.Islam is said to be one of the accused in the Shopian deadly attack carried by the militants in 23 February 2017, in which three forces personnel and one woman was killed.Meanwhile, at least eleven civilians were injured after the forces fired live ammunition and pellets at protesters when Government forces on Sunday resorted to aerial firing as the mourners were gathering to participate in the funeral prayers of Al Badr commander Zeenat ul Islam at his native Sugan village.
Reports said that the forces had blocked all roads leading to Sugan village to limit the number of mourners gathering for funeral of Zeenat.
However, they said, mourners continued to assemble in the village after making their way through orchards.Soon after the forces resorted to aerial firing to disperse the people, an eye witness said, the youth pelted them with stones, triggering clashes.They said that forces fired live ammunition and pellets at the protesters, resulting in injuries to at least ten civilians.Four injured were shifted to sub district hospital Zainapora. “One had pellet injury in his eye while three others were hit by pellets on their bodies,” said Health official.An official at district hospital Shopian said that two injured were brought to the facility for treatment. “One had a bullet injury in his thigh,” he said.A woman, identified as Shokhi, injured after being allegedly hit by an army vehicle was also shifted to district hospital Shopian.Five rounds of funeral prayers were held for Zeenat while four rounds were held for Shakeel in which thousands of people participated.Zeenatul Islam's father Ghulam Hassan Shah While addressing a mammoth gathering at funeral asked people not to weep, cry and wail as it was a moment of pride for him that his son died while fighting forces and returned home as martyr."I tell you not to wail over this. It’s a moment of pride for me," GH Shah told the gathering according to Valley Media Service, to which massive sloganeering erupted. He told them that the struggle that his son had set foot on will not go waste.“In Sha Allah we will achieve for what my son had been striving for," Shah said. Militants also appeared in the funeral and offered gun salute to their associate.Shopian district will remain shut tomorrow against killing of Al Badr chief, the shutdown call has been given by Shopian netizen’s.
Two militants killed in an encounter at Kathpora Kulgam have been identified as Zeenat-ul-Islam alias Zeenat alais Usman son of Ghulam Hassan Shah resident of Shopian and Shakeel Ahmad Dar son of Abdul Rasheed Dar resident of Chillipora Shopian.Both militants were affiliated with Al-Badr and were wanted by the law for their complicity in a series of militancy activities including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities.In a statement to Valley Media Service, a police spokesman said that Zeenat-ul-Islam according to police records had a long history of terror crime records since 2006 when he got affiliated with Al-Badr and was later arrested.However after he was released, he again got recycled in 2016 and subsequently got affiliated with HM and recently he joined Al-Badr in Shopian District. Consequently he became the chief of the said outfit. Several militancy activity cases were registered against him including FIR No17/2016 under section 307 RPC, 7/27 I A act of PS Zainapora, FIR No 45/2016 under section 147,148,149,307,336,332,188,427 RPC, 7/27 I A act, 3 PPD Act at PS Zainpora, FIR No 02/2017 under section 307 RPC, 7/27 I A act at PS Zainpora, FIR No 10/2017 under section 307 RPC, 7/27 I A act at PS Zainpora, FIR No 26/2017 under section 447,427,506 RPC, 16 ULA (P) Act ,7/25 I A act at PS Zainpora and FIR No 50/2017 under section 7/27 I A act , 16 ULA (P) act at PS Zainpora. He was also involved in a weapon snatching case at Tukroo Shopian and case FIR No 319/2016 under section 380 RPC, 7/25 IA Act, 30 Police Act, 3 PEPO is registered at PS Shopian in this regard.Similarly Shakeel Ahmad Dar was also involved in terror related crimes as well.Incriminating material such as arms & ammu, was recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for the purpose of investigation.(VMS)