SPO, who stole 7 AK-47s, among 3 militants killed

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, January 20

Three top militants, including a Special Police Officer (SPO) of the J&K Police, who fled with seven guns from a lawmaker’s home in 2018, were killed in a gunfight in south Kashmir’s Shopian.

Announcing the killing of three top Hizbul Mujahideen men in a gunfight in Shopian, J&K Police chief Dilbag Singh said the outfit was coming to an end in south Kashmir.

Three local militants identified as Waseem Ahmed Wani, SPO-turned-militant Adil Bashir and Jehangir, were killed a brief gunfight in the Wachi Zainapora area in the district.

At a media briefing, the DGP said Wasim was a wanted militant and was involved in the killing of at least four civilians and four policemen in south Kashmir.

“He was a top commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen in the area and there were 19 cases registered against him,” he said. “Adil Bashir, the other militant killed in the gunfight was part of the killings along with Waseem,” he said.

Adil was a former SPO who had decamped with seven rifles and pistol from the official residence of former MLA Wachi Aijaz Mir in the Jawahar Nagar area of Srinagar on September 28, 2018. At the time of looting of weapons, Mir was not present at his home in Srinagar. The SPO, who hailed from Mir’s home town Wachi, later joined militant ranks. The case of decamping of rifles was later handed over to the National Investigation Agency and they even questioned the former MLA in the case.

Dilbag Singh said it was not painful to kill a police deserter. “...Those who will do such kind of acts will have face the law,” he said.

The DGP said the killing of the trio would give a “huge relief” to the people in the Shopian belt.

This year at least eight militants were killed in Kashmir and three militants, including a top commander Naveed Babu, who was accused of being involved in the killing of non-locals in October last year, were arrested.

Dilbagh Singh said this year forces had achieved major successes against militants.

“A few days ago a top terrorist of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Hammad Khan, was killed along with two accomplices. Later, a militant was arrested alive. A module of the Jaish-e-Mohammad was busted in Srinagar and five operatives were arrested. They were arrested along with large-scale explosives and suicide bomb belts. Besides, DSP Davinder Singh was arrested along with two terrorists. This year we have been able to carry many successful operations,” he said.

J&K Police to hand over custody of DSP, ultras to NIA

• The Investigating Officer in the DSP Davinder Singh arrest case, Inspector General of Police (IG) of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), arrived in Srinagar on Monday. The J&K Police will hand over the custody of the disgraced officer and the militants to the Central agency.
• Top sources said a two-member team, headed by IGP, NIA, Anil Shukla arrived in Srinagar on Monday, a day after five members of the agency landed in Srinagar to investigate the case and question the suspended police officer. Besides, the NIA team would also visit the Srinagar airport.
• Director General of Police, J&K, Dilbag Singh said at a press conference in Srinagar, “Their custody (suspended DSP and militants) is being handed over to the National Investigation Agency. The case has been transferred to the NIA and it is not right to comment on that.”