2 Hizb militants killed in Kulgam encounter

Srinagar: Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed in a fire fight with the security forces in Jammu & Kashmir’s Kulgam district while their accomplice surrendered, the police said on Monday. In another development, the state government ordered prosecution of eight Srinagar youth for allegedly waving the ISIS flag during protests in 2014. The militants killed in the overnight encounter in Kulgam were identified as Dawood Ahmed and Sayar Ahmed, both Kashmiris. Their accomplice Arif Ahmed Sofi surrendered before police.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered prosecution of nine youth from Srinagar for their allegedly waving Daesh or ISIS flag during protests outside the city’s Grand Mosque in 2014.

The official sources said that the evidence gathered during the police investigating included the footage and photographs of the accused waving and hoisting the ISIS flag within the compound of the historic place of worship on October 17, 2014. The All of them are residents of Srinagar. One of them Sajad Gilkar was, however, killed by the security forces in an encounter earlier this year, the sources said.

“The Investigating Officer has established a prima-facie case against the accused persons under section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 apart from other offences,” an SRO issued by Jammu and Kashmir’s Home Secretary says.

Meanwhile, two more militants were killed in a firefight in southern Kulgam on Sunday night.