Srinagar : Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday said the two militants slain in a gunfight with the government forces in Gopalpora area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district were affiliated with Hizb ul-Mujahideen outfit.
A police spokesman in a statement said that the slain militants have been identified as Irfan Manzoor Bhat of Poniwah Kulgam and Zahid Ahmad Mantoo of Ferripora Shopian.
“According to the police records, the slain militants were affiliated with proscribed militant outfit HM. They were wanted by law for their complicity in crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities,” he said.
“As per police records Zahid was involved in planning and executing series of attacks in the area and many other civilian atrocities. Several crime cases were registered against him. He was involved in case FIR No 307/2018 pertaining to the killing of three policemen at Batgund Shopian last year. He was also involved in case of FIR No 304/2018, 343/2018, 352/2018, 361/2018 pertaining to attacks and civilian atrocities in the area,” he added.
“Irfan had joined the proscribed outfit HM recently and was part of a group involved in the killing of Abdul Majeed Dar of Shalipora Kulgam for which case FIR No. 40/2019 was registered in P/S Kulgam. Some other criminal cases were also registered against him,” said the spokesman.
“Incriminating materials including arms & ammunition was recovered from the site of encounter. Police has registered a case and all these materials have been taken in the case records for the purpose of investigation and to probe their complicity in other crimes,” he said.
“People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosives materials if any,” said police spokesman in a statement.