Footballer turned militant Amir Siraj | File Photo
Srinagar: Two militants, including an ace footballer from Sopore town were killed on Thursday in a fierce encounter with government forces in Baramulla district of north Kashmir, police said.
On a specific input about the presence of militants, police, army’s 29 RR and the personnel of CRPF 176 battalion launched a cordon and search operation in Wanigam Payeen area of the district on Thursday morning, a police spokesperson said. He said the militants hiding in the house of one Me’raj-ud-din Wani were given an offer to surrender.
“However, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which was retaliated leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter,” the police spokesperson said.
He identified the killed militant as Amir Siraj of Sopore and Abrar alias Langoo, a Pakistani national, both associated with Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM).
According to news agency KNO, 22-year-old Amir went missing on June 24 this year when he left his maternal uncle’s house at Adipora, Sopore, to play football.
Quoting sources, the report says that Amir had switched off his mobile phone and couldn’t be contacted by any of his family members.
“Amir was an ace footballer and was known for his skills in the play field,” the report added.
According to the police spokesperson, both the militants were involved in several crime cases, including attacks on security forces and civilian ‘atrocities’.
“Incriminating materials 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 crimes,” he added.
The police spokesperson further said that a case under relevant sections of law has been registered and investigation has been initiated in this regard. He also urged People to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials, if any.
CRPF Man Injured In Grenade Attack Succumbs
Earlier a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) constable, who was critically injured in Ganderbal grenade attack on Wednesday, succumbed to his injuries at a hospital here on Thursday.
24-year-old Constable Mritunjoy Chutia, of CRPF 115 battalion died of serious splinter injuries at the SK institute of medical sciences here on Thursday, a senior police officer said. Chutia was among six people, including his three colleagues, injured in a grenade attack in Tawheed Chowk area of Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district on Wednesday.
SSB Trooper Injured In Sopore Attack
Meanwhile a Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) trooper on Thursday was injured in a militant attack in the Watergam area of Sopore.
Suspected militants lobbed a grenade towards SSB troopers in the Watergam area of Sopore on Thursday evening leaving one of the troopers injured, news agency GNS reported. The injured trooper was removed by his colleagues to the nearby hospital for treatment.
Soon after the attack, government forces launched a cordon and search operation in the area to nab the attackers.
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