Three local militants killed in Southern Shopian district were buried at Gantamulla Sheeri area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district.Sources told news agency KNT that all the three militants were buried in presence of their family members while namaz-e-jinazah was offered by a local cleric. “About 20 people offered funeral prayers for these militants maintaining social distancing norms,” sources added.Pertinently, three local militants including two top commanders have been killed in an encounter that broke out in the Turkawangam village in South Kashmir's Shopian district early morning on Tuesday. Local sources said that three militants were killed after government forces including soldiers from 44 Rashtriya Rifles and CRPF personnel from 177 Battalion and SOG of Jammu Kashmir Police cordoned off Rambiara portion where militants were present. In the exchange of fire, all the three local militants were killed.Shortly after the encounter, internet service was suspended in the district.Police sources identified these three militants as Zubair Ahmed Wani son of Nazir Ahmed Wani, a resident of Turkwangam, Munab-ul-Islam Shah son of Habibullah Shah of Sugan and Kamran Manzoor Manhas son of Zahoor Ahmed Manhas of Shahbaz Krakow, all from district Shopian.
Kamran is the nephew of senior political leader Zaffar Manhas. Zubair Ahmed had joined Hizbul Mujhadeen in 2017 and was currently the district commander of Shopian.A police spokesperson said that incriminating material including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror crimes.“An FIR vide number 65/2020 under relevant sections of law stands registered in Police Station Zainapora and investigation has been initiated.While addressing a joint press conference, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that, “it was due to an excellent and swift action by Police, Army and CRPF, the joint operation was carried out in professional manner with no collateral damage. During the current year, 94 militants including top commanders have been killed so far. Pertinently 24 militants were killed in the past two weeks mostly in District Shopian. The dead bodies of three killed militants have been sent to Baramulla for their last rites after conducting medico-legal formalities including collection of their DNA.” He further said that, “in case any family claims the killed militants to be their kith or kin, they can come forward for the identification and participation in last rites at Baramulla.” (KNT)