Masood Azhar’s nephew among 2 JeM militants killed in Tral gunbattle

ENCOUNTER JeM chief’s relative, believed to be a sniper, was involved in the recent attacks on security forces in Valley

Two militants were killed after a day-long encounter with security forces in Tral of south Kashmir's Pulwama district. One of the militants is said to be nephew of Jaish chief Masood Azhar.

Masood Azhar was exchanged with the hostage passengers of Indian Airlines flight IC 814 which was hijacked from Kathmandu to Kandahar in Afghanistan in December 1999.

While the police said the exact identity of the two slain militants was being ascertained, the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in a statement mailed to the local GNS news agency said a slain militant was the nephew of JeM’s Pakistan-based chief Masood Azhar.

JeM has identified the slain militant as Muhammad Usman while the second slain militant has been identified as a local, Showkat Ahmad.

On Tuesday morning, army's Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and Special Operations Group of the state police launched a joint operation at Chantikar village in Tral.

As searches were in progress, exchange of fire took place between the militants and forces which turned into an encounter.

Sources said that among the slain militants one could be a sniper who was involved in two attacks on forces in Tral area and is a close relative of Jaish chief Masood Azhar.

A senior officer privy to operational details told Hindustan Times that one of the militants killed in Tral is nephew of JeM chief and was involved in recent standoff attacks on forces.

Police spokesman, however, said militants have not been identified yet.

The responsibility for both the snipper attacks was claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammad, he said.

Police spokesman said the operation was launched on credible inputs about militant presence in the area.

“During the search operation, the hiding militants fired on the search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, so far two dead bodies of the terrorists have been recovered. They are affiliated with proscribed terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad,” the spokesman said.

Police said the identities of the killed militants are being ascertained and the searches are still going on in the area.

LOCALS HURL STONES AT FORCE

Officials said that as the operation was underway, locals assembled near the encounter site and pelted stones on the police and paramilitary forces as they were trying to provide escape route to the militants.

Three militants were believed to be holed up in a house, they added.

Locals said that the police and army used explosives to bring down the house.

The police, meanwhile, requested local villagers not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can be proved dangerous due to stray explosive materials.

JAISHEMOHAMMAD HAS IDENTIFIED SLAIN MILITANTS AS USMAN HAIDER AND SHOWKAT AHMAD, USMAN IS THE NEPHEW OF MASOOD AZHAR