By IRNA
Srinagar, India : Kashmir’s formidable militant organization, the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen suffered a major setback Tuesday when one of its top military commanders was killed in a gunbattle with Indian army in south Kashmir.
Hizb district commander for Kulgam was killed in a gun battle with the army and the police in the Awantipur area of Pulwama Tuesday, an official spokesman said.
The slain militant had been active for the past seven years and was an expert in explosives.
Meanwhile, a group of besieged militants managed to escape after an exchange of fire with troops in the Sogam area of Kupwara.
Srinagar police had received a confirmed report that Hizb district commander, Jahangir Ahmad, was present in a village in Awantipur, the superintendent of police for Awantipur, Sardar Khan, said.
The police, accompanied by the troops of the 31 and 55 RR, laid siege to the village on Monday night, and the militant commander, who was holed up in the cowshed of one Abdul Hameed Bhat, opened heavy fire on the forces, the police officer said.
The militant was killed in retaliatory action by the troops and the cowshed was totally destroyed in the encounter, he said.
According to the SP, one AK rifle, one pistol, one grenade, two RPG rounds, 56 rounds of ammunition and three pistol bullets were recovered from the slain militant.
Reports said that troops had laid the cordon at around 3 a.m. on Monday night, and the gunfire started two hours later.
The body of the slain militant, Jahangir Ahmad Bhat was recovered from the debris of the structure.
According to the police, the militant was involved in the killing of a brother of former minister Abdul Rahman Veeri in 2005.
He had also a part in the IED explosions in Hamzapora and Panjpora in 2006, and several attacks on the security forces, the police added.
The central spokesman of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Khalil-ur-Rahman, said that Jahangir alias Aijaz, was the group’s district commander for Kulgam.
He had joined militancy after his matriculation, and had been active in the field for the past seven years, he said.
“Apart from being a staunch militant, Jahangir was an explosives expert and had carried out several successful attacks against the security forces,” he said.
The group’s chief operations commander, Moin-ul-Islam, military advisor, Rafeeq-ul-Islam and divisional commander for South Kashmir, Wajihuddin, have paid glorious tribute to the slain Hizb commander, saying that sacrifices would continue till the goal was achieved.
Meanwhile, the special operations group of the state police cordoned off a forest tract near Sogam, Lolab last night following reports that a group of militants was present in the area.
A heavy exchange of fire erupted as the police moved in, and gunfire continued till 1 in the night, resuming at four in the morning.
But the militants managed to escape after breaking through the cordon, reports said.