Karnal soldier, militant killed in Valley gunfight
In a major success, security forces shot dead Hizbul Mujahideen militant Hilal Ahmed Rather, who had helped dreaded LeT terrorist Naved Jatt escape, during an encounter in south Kashmir in which an armyman from Karnal in Haryana was also killed. Rather, 21, was killed in the encounter in Ratnipora area of Pulwama.
: A top Hizbul Mujahideen militant, who helped Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Naveed Jutt escape from police custody at a hospital here last year, was on Tuesday killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district in which a soldier was killed and another was injured, police said.
Police said that the cordon and search operation was launched in Ratnipora village late Monday night by the army and Special Operation Group of the police on specific information about the presence of militants in the village. Officials said as the searches were on, the militants opened fire resulting in an encounter that continued throughout the night. In the ensuing encounter, one militant was killed and the body was retrieved from the site of encounter.
The slain militant was identified as Hilal Ahmad Rather, a resident of Behgambagh Kakapora in Pulwama district. Police said Rather was affiliated with the Hizbul Mujahideen and had joined militant ranks in 2018.
Naveed Jutt, the top commander of LeT, had escaped from a hospital in February last year and soon after he rejoined militancy. In November 2018, he was killed along with an associate on the outskirts of Srinagar.
The army personnel, who was killed during the encounter, was identified as Havaldar Baljeet Singh of Karnal in Haryana and was affiliated with 50 Rashtriya Rifles.
A police spokesperson said that Rather was involved in the attack inside premises of Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital in which two cops were killed and Naveed Jatt alias Hanzalla had managed to escape.
Locals said there is possibility that one or two militants could have managed to escape in the initial firing. The house where militants had taken refuge was also damaged in the encounter.
PALL OF GLOOM DESCENDS ON VILLAGE
pall of gloom descended over Dinger Majra village of Karnal district as news of army jawan Baljeet Singh’s death spread.
Baljeet Singh, 35, of 50 Rashtriya Rifles was killed in an encounter between security forces and militants in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district at around 2.30am on Tuesday. He is survived by his wife, Aruna, three-year-old son Arnav and seven-year-old daughter Jannat. His father Kishan Chand, 75, and younger brother Kuldeep are agriculturists.
“Baljeet had joined the Rashtriya Rifles in January 2002. He was shifted to VVIP duty from 2015 to 2017. After that he returned to Rashtirya Rifles and was posted in Pulwana,” his brother Kuldeep said.
DC Aditya Dahiya said, “The body would reach his native village on Wednesday morning .”