A soldier and a militant wree killed in gunfight between militants and Government Forces in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir.“On a specific police input, an operation was launched late last night in Doda district. An encounter ensued,” said a police official adding the gunfight resulted into the death of a soldier and a militant.Official sources told KNT that a soldier has been killed while a militant has also been neutralized.Inspector General of Police Jammu Zone, Mukesh Singh in series of tweets said that Hizb Commander Tahir Ahmed Bhat from Pulwma was killed in the encounter. He was a close associate of Hizb Operational Commander Dr Saifullah His name has figured in the fabrication of IED which was exploded near CRPF convoy at Banihal in March 2019.He was also a part of group of HM militant who killed RSS activist Chanderkant Sharma and his PSO in April 2019.IGP added that the slain militant was send to Chenab Valley to revive militancy.Police in a statement said that a specific information was received regarding the presence of a top HM commander Tahir Ahmed Bhat of Pulwama in the village Khotra in Tehsil and district Doda. An operation was launched and the village was cordoned by early morning by the forces of Police , Army, CRPF and SSB . During the search, terrorists hiding in a house opened indiscriminate fire on the Police /Army. In the encounter that followed, Tahir Ahmed Bhat was killed and an AK 47 Rifle and Magazine have been recovered .
Tahir Ahmed Bhat joined militant outfit HM early last year (2019).His name has figured in the fabrication of IED which was exploded near a CRPF convoy at Banihal in March 2019. He had subsequently visited Chenab Valley and was given the task of recruiting youth and reviving HM activities in the Chenab valley. He was also a part of group of HM militants who killed RSS activist Sh.Chanderkant Sharma and his PSO in April 2019. The same AK 47 Rifle which was taken away that time has been recovered after the encounter today.With this operation, an attempt of HM to revive activities in Doda has been nipped. The designs of the HM to target SF Convoy and Camps has also be thwarted.Tahir Bhat was a close associate of present Operational Commander of HM outfit Saifullah @ Dr Saif and was assigned the task of ‘Revival of Militantism’ in Chenab Valley by recruiting more youth from there, as the Chenab valley had got rid of militancy in late 1990’s.The slain militant was directed by his mentors to target the SFs and carry out some sensitive and sensational attacks in Chenab Valley to create insecurity among the people and to disturb the peaceful atmosphere. He was complicit in several militant crimes including attacks on Security establishments and civilian atrocities.His killing will create a huge deterrence to the Revival of Militancy in Chenab Valley. He was involved in Case FIR No. 36/2020 U/S 20,38,UAPA 121 RPC P/S Kakpora , Case FIR No 33/2019 U/S 364,302, RPC P/S Awantipora , Case FIR No 37/2019 U/S 307,RPC 7/27 A. Act, 16,18,20, ULAP Act P/S Litter and Case FIR No 45/2019 U/S 364,302,RPC 7/27 A.Act P/S Shopian. (KNT)