SRINAGAR: A militant inspired by the Islamic State ideology and affiliated to Islamic State Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK) was killed and another injured and later captured alive by security forces, in an alleged group clash between two militant groups in south Kashmir.
A police officer said body of a local militant, Adil Das, was recovered from the orchards in Bijbehara area of Anantnag in south Kashmir in the morning.
He said the injured militant, Arif Hussain Bhat, was arrested by a joint party of police and security forces from the area. “The arrested militant was taken into custody and admitted to hospital, where he is being administered medical treatment,” the officer said.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police south Kashmir, Atul Goel told this newspaper that the incident seems to be result of group clash between two militant groups. “We are ascertaining the exact cause of the militant’s death,” he said.
Goel said there was no encounter between militants and security forces in the area and neither was there any ambush by the forces. Sources said the militant was killed in a group clash with LeT militants. “Adil had recently changed loyalty from LeT to ISJK. Adil had recently joined ISJK and the LeT wanted him to surrender the weapon. However, when he refused to hand over the weapon, he was killed by the LeT militants. Another militant was injured,” a source said.
In another incident, a mysterious blast took place inside the shop of a scrap dealer in Chidder area of Kulgam in south Kashmir. “As the workers inside the shop were dismantling the newly arrived scrap, there was a blast inside the shop,” a police officer said.
Three persons sustained injuries in the incident. The injured were rushed to a hospital nearby. However, Nazir Ahmad Bhat, a critically injured civilian, succumbed to his injuries. Two other injured victims were shifted to Srinagar hospital for specialised treatment. “A case has been registered and an investigation is already underway,” the officer said.