Wednesday 13th May, 2026
Srinagar, May 31: Two Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militants and an alleged Over Ground Worker (OGW) were killed in an encounter which ensued during a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) by security forces in south Kashmir district of Shopian on Friday.
A soldier was also injured in the encounter, which has ended.
Meanwhile, authorities have suspended mobile internet service as a precautionary measure in Shopian, where clashes erupted between security forces and demonstrators, who hit the streets and tried to disrupt the CASO.
A police official told UNI that troops of Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police and CRPF launched a joint search operation at village Draggad Sugan, Shopian in the wee hours of Friday following a tip off about the presence of militants.
However, when the security forces were sealing the village, militants hiding in the nearby orchards opened indiscriminate firing with automatic weapons, causing injuries to a soldier.
He said the security forces retaliated ensuing in an encounter. “Two militants and an OGW were killed in the exchange of fire,” he said, adding bodies of all three have been recovered.
He said one of the slain militants has been identified as Saju Magrey while the identity of another ultra is being ascertained. “Magrey was affiliated with HM,” he said, adding the identity of the OGW is also being ascertained.
He said huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the encounter site.
Meanwhile, security forces and state police personnel deployed outside the cordon off area resorted to lathicharge and burst teargas shells to disperse demonstrators, who were trying to disrupt the operation. Clashes between demonstrators, mostly youths, and security forces were also going on when the reports last came in.
A police spokesperson said that on a credible input, a CASO was launched by police and security forces at Dragad in Sugan area of District Shopian. “During the search operation, the hiding militants fired on the search party. The fire was retaliated leading to an encounter,” he said.
He said two militants along with one more person, who was part of this group, were killed. “The killed militants were identified as Abid Manzoor Magray alias Sajju Tiger, a resident Nowpora Payeeen Pulwama, Bilal Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Urmulla Lassipora Pulwama and Jasim Rashid Shah, a resident of Malnar, Shopian. “This group was affiliated with proscribed outfit HM,” he said.
He said Abid and Manzoor were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of militant attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities.
He said according to the police records, Abid had a history of terror crime records since 2016. Abid was part of groups involved in planning and executing series of militant attacks in the area and many other civilian atrocities. “Abid was involved in many cases, including militant attack at Litter, weapon snatching at Gudbug Guard, firing on PP Lassipora, firing on patrolling party at Alaipora Lassipora, theft of vehicle, kidnapping of a girl and several other criminal cases,” he said.
Similarly, he said Manzoor was also involved in several attacks on security establishments in the area.
He said Jasim, as per the records and inputs available with police coupled with the family version that he was missing since Thusrday afternoon, was part of this group.
“Incriminating materials including arms & ammunition was recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for the purpose of investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror crimes,” he added.