A B.Tech student-turned-Hizbul Mujahideen recruit was among the two militants killed in Kashmir on Wednesday.
Recruited in October at the peak of street agitation in the Valley sparked by militant Burhan Wani’s killing, the Islamic University of Science and Technology student, Basit Rasool Dar, was killed in an encounter in south Kashmir’s Bewoora-Marhama village in Anantnag district.
A police spokesman said an ambush was laid for the militants after a tip-off about their movement in the area. “One militant was killed, while two escaped after a brief gunfight in an orchard,” said a police official. Dar was a resident of Bijbehara’s Marhama village.
Dar’s killing sparked fresh unrest with youths hurling stones at the security forces.
In north Kashmir’s Sopore area, security forces killed a Lashkar-e-Taiba militant who was holed up in a house. After an initial exchange of fire, the forces razed the house to ground by detonating explosives.
“A militant, identified as Abu Bakar from Pakistan, was killed. He used to receive infiltrators and distribute them. He was Lashkar’s divisional commander,” said Superintendent of Police, Sopore, Harmeet Singh.
A soldier was injured in the gunfight.
