Army deserter among two militants killed

As the search operation was going on, hiding militants fired on the search party. The fire was retaliated, leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed. POLICE SPOKESPERSON

SRINAGAR: Two militants, including a soldier-turned-militant, were killed in a gunbattle with security forces in south Kashmir’s Shopian district in a predawn operation, police said. Soldier-turned-militant Idrees Ahmad had joined militant ranks in April when he was on leave at his native village Safanagri. Ahmad was the second soldier to desert the army in last two years. In 2017, another soldier Zahoor Ahmad Thokar of (Territorial Army battalion) of Sirnoo village in Pulwama, who was posted in north Kashmir, also deserted the army along with his weapon and later joined the militant ranks. Thokar is still at large. Both Idrees and Thokar announced joining of militancy after their pictures surfaced on the social media carrying weapons. Idrees was affiliated with Hizbul Mujahideen. Before joining militant ranks, he was part army’s 12 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) and posted in Bihar.

A police spokesperson said security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the pre-dawn hours at Safanagri Zanpora based on information.

“As the search operation was going on, hiding militants fired on the search party. The fire was retaliated, leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed and they were identified as Mohammad Idrees alias Chota Abrar of Safanagri in Shopian and Amir Hussain Rather alias Abu Sobaan of Awneera in Shopian,” the spokesperson said.

NEW SRINAGAR MAYOR ELECTED

Junaid Mattu, an independent candidate who was supported by Sajjad Lone’s Peoples Conference and BJP, on Tuesday was elected as the mayor of Srinagar Municipal Corporation.

Of the total 74 votes, Mattu secured 40 votes in the contest which was closely watched by the leadership of all the mainstream political parties. He defeated Congress candidate, Ghulam Rasool Hajam. Us-educated Mattu had won election from three wards of the SMC in the recent polls.

Mattu termed the election as historic not only for Srinagar but for entire Kashmir and said it’s going to bring change in the mainstream political arena. ‘’Change is inevitable, change has come to Srinagar.”