Thursday 14th May, 2026
Srinagar, May 10 A top commander of Islamic State Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK) was killed on Friday by security forces in a brief encounter in south Kashmir district of Shopian, where authorities have snapped mobile internet service as a precautionary measure to prevent rumours.
Official sources said that security forces noticed movement of a militant at Ashijipora, Shopian at 0400 hrs on Friday. However, when challenged and asked to surrender, militant opened fire, they said adding in the return fire militant was killed.
Later the slain militant was identified as Ishfaq Ahmad alias Abdullah Bhai, of ISJK, reportedly last surviving militant of Zakir Moosa group. Ishfaq , a resident of Sopore in Baramulla has joined Harktul-ul-Mujahideen before shifting to ISJK.
The operation has ended , they said adding additional security forces have been deployed in main town to prevent any demonstration.
A police spokesperson on Friday evening said that following specific information about presence of militants, a CASO was launched at Ram Nagri area of Herpora in Shopian.
During the search operation, he said the hidden militants fired on the search party. “The fire was retaliated leading to a brief exchange of fire,” he said.
He said in the brief exchange of fire, one militant, identified as Ishfaq Ahmad Sofi alias Umar son of Mushtaq Ahmad resident of Model Town-B, Sopore, was killed.
He said according to police records, Ishfaq had a long history of criminal records and was initially affiliated with proscribed terror outfit HuM.
“The slain militant along with his other militant associates were involved in series of terror crimes including grenade attacks on CRPF bunker at Safa Kadal, Soura and Police Station Khanyar.
He was also part of groups which had carried out attacks on security establishments in the area. “Ishfaq was subsequently arrested and after his release on bail, he again got recycled and joined the terror ranks last year in 2018,” he said.
He said Ishfaq, as per the police records, after getting recycled again got involved in planning and executing militant attacks.
He was also involved in attacks on security establishments and many other civilian atrocities in the area for which several militant related cases were registered against him.
“Incriminating material including arms and ammunition has been recovered from the killed militant,” he said.
He said with the efforts of police and security forces, it was a clean operation and no collateral damage took place during the exchange of fire. “Citizens are requested not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials,” he added.
UNI