Lashkar-e-Islam militant, soldier killed in Sopore encounter

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

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SRINAGAR, Sep 2: One of the prominent militants of Lashkar-e-Islam, Hizbul Mujahideen’s breakaway faction that spread terror with a chain of attacks on the people associated with mobile telephone operations in Kashmir earlier this year, besides a soldier died in a daylong gunfight in Sopore area of northern Kashmir on Wednesday.

Deputy Inspector General of Police for North Kashmir, Gareeb Das, told STATE TIMES that the LeI terror Riyaz Ahmad Mir alias Gosha, a resident of Brat Kalan neighbourhood of Sopore, got killed when troops of Rashtriya Rifles 32 Bn, CRPF and Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police brought down his hideout at the house of one Ghulam-ud-din Ganai at Ladoora with IEDs , 5 Km from Sopore. He said that earlier in the day, two soldiers of Rashtriya Rifles sustained injuries. One of them succumbed to injuries at hospital.

DIG said that according to the specific information there were one to two militants present at the hideout when SOG and Army launched the cordon-and-search operation in the morning. “There were inputs about the possible presence of the top wanted LeI terror Imtiyaz Kandoo. But, we are not sure whether he gave the forces a slip and escaped or was not hiding there when Police and security forces swooped on the hideout”, DIG said. He said that three AK-47 rifles and a quantity of other arms and ammunition was recovered from the debris the destroyed hideout.

Official sources here insisted that the operation was launched on the source information of SOG Srinagar. As soon one soldier entered the hideout, the lonely militant fired a burst of AK-47 rifle. Critically wounded, the soldier was evacuated and rushed to hospital where he succumbed to injuries.

Residents of the area claimed that Riyaz alias Rizwan was associated with Hizbul Mujahideen and he was not part of the breakaway group formed by the rebel Qayoom Najar. However, DIG Gareeb Das disclosed that the slain militant had been spotted more than once lately in the company of LeI guerrillas Imtiyaz Kandoo, Meraj Halwai, Adil Mir and others of the group. At least once recently, he had been spotted with the LeI head Qayoom Najar. He said that Riyaz was wanted in the assassination of a Sarpanch and the murder of five others associated with mobile telephone operations. Before his shifting to LeI, Riyaz was active as a militant with Hizbul Mujahideen.

According to the Police records, Riyaz, along Mehraj Halwai and Adil Mir, shot dead Bomai Sarpanch Ghulam Mohammad Bhat at Bomai on December 20, 2014. FIR No: 93/2014 under section 302 RPCand 7/27 Indian Arms Act was lodged in police station Bomai. He was allegedly involved in causing a grenade blast in Dangerpora orchards in which three civilians got killed. FIR No: 167/2014 dated 12-10-2014 stood registered against him and others.

Riyaz, 32, was allegedly involved in grenade attack on police and Army at Kupwara crossing. On 21-02 -2014, he killed one civilian Waseem Malla s/o Mehrajuddin Malla r/o Bagh I Islam. FIR no 25/2014 under section 302 RPC, 7/27 Indian Arms Acount Act dated 21-02-2014 stands registered in Tarzoo Police Station. On May 25, Riyaz Riyaz Was allegedly involved in the assassination of Mohammad Rafiq r/o Pohrupeth Handwara resulting in registration of case FIR no 103/2015 under section 302 and 307 RPC and 7/27 Indian Arms Act against him at Sopore. Slain guerrilla was also involved.

He was also allegedly involved in terrorising landlords of mobile towers resulting in registration of FIR No: 100/2015 u/s 7/27, 506 RPC with Police Station Sopore. On August 26, Riyaz and Adil Mir allegedly killed a mobile phone operator Ghulam Hassan of Dooru, Sopore. FIR No: 105/ 2015 u/s 302 RPC and 7/27 Indian Arms Act stand registered with Police Station Sopore.

 Riyaz was also allegedly involved in killing of one Hurriyat activist Sheikh Altaf-ur-Rehman of Iqbal Nagar, Sopore bus stand, on June 9, 2015. FIR no 115/2015 dated 09-06-2015 stands registered with  Police Station Sopore.  He was also allegedly involved in the killing of one Hurriyat activist Khursheed Ahmed Bhat s/o Gh Nabi Bhat r/o Bomai Sopore outside his home on 9-06-2015. FIR no 36/2015 dated 12 -06- 2015 stands registered with Police Station Bomai. 

He was involved in the killing of one former militant Mehrajuddin Dar s/o Mohammad Ahsan Dar r/o Badambagh Sopore on 14 -06-2015.  He was also involved in the killing of former militant Aijaz Ahmad Reshi s/o Ab Rahim Reshi s/o Mundji sopore on 15-06-2015.

Encounter in Handwara

Meanwhile, late on Wednesday night, another gunbattle started between militants and security forces at Socahlwari, in Vilgam area of Handwara Police district. One militant and one soldier died. Another soldier injured.

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