Author: Excelsior Special Correspondent
Publication: The Daily Excelsior
Date: January 12, 2004
URL: http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/04jan12/news.htm#2
Lensman beheaded, wife shot dead
Even as militants have mercilessly
killed a couple in Tral and a cable operator in Rajpora area of Pulwama
district, security forces have killed two militants in a fierce gunbattle
in Bijbehara area of south Kashmir since last evening. Meanwhile, security
forces have killed two more militants in the encounter that had begun at
Bakhipora in Rafiabad area of Baramulla district on Friday.
Informed sources in south Kashmir
told the EXCELSIOR that late last evening, a group of heavily armed militants
barged into the house of a small time photographer Farooq Ahmed Mirza S/o
Gul Shah at Lurgam, about 8 Km from Tral. After an altercation with the
inmates, the militants shot dead Mirza's 29- year-old wife, Zaina, in cold
blood. Mirza was dragged out of the house and beheaded with a sharp-edged
knife. His decapitated body was recovered from the spot late in the night.
An investigation revealed that militants
of Jaish-e-Mohammad had established a temporary hideout at Mirza's house
in the last two years. Security forces killed two militants of Jaish-e-Mohammad,
namely Aijaz Shaheen S/o Mubarak Shah of Pakistan and Fayaz Ahmed Hajam
S/o Ghulam Ahmed Hajam R/o Satoora (Tral), in an operation at Mirza's house
on August 5, 2003. Though no militant outfit has immediately owned up the
couple's killing, it is widely believed in Tral area that militants have
suspected the photographer and his wife as informers of security forces.
Zaina has been reportedly killed
for offering resistance to the militants' attempt of kidnapping her husband.
Thereafter, Mirza is believed to have been slaughtered as an informer.
Militants also intruded into the
house of one Master Wali Mohammad Sheikh at Chhanapora village in Rajpora
area and hurled a hand grenade on the inmates. A cable operator, namely
Firdaus Ahmed, got killed and the house owner's son, Abdul Hameed, sustained
injuries. Official sources said it was being ascertained whether the attack
had been executed by separatist militants or the same was the handiwork
of the cable operator's business rivals.
Sources said that on the basis of
a specific information, troops of Rashtriya Rifles 3 Bn launched a cordon-and-search
operation at Tulkhun near the highway township of Bijbehara today. During
the operation, a group of holed up militants opened fire and made several
attempts to escape from the cordoned area. Finally troops killed two militants.
They were identified as Mohammad Ishfaq alias Fahim-ul-Islam R/o Arwani
and Riyaz Ahmed Wani R/o Khull Ahmed abad (Noorabad). However, Police sources
insisted that the latter was a Pakistani national with a fake Identity
card.
Reports from north Kashmir said
that security forces have eliminated two more militants in the gunbattle
that had begun between the militants and security forces at Bakhipora (Rafiabad)
in Handwara area on Friday. As already reported, two militants of the organisation
had been killed by security forces in this gunbattle on Friday and Saturday
while as two soldiers had got injured. According to official sources, one
of the four slain militants has been identified as Imran R/o Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Police and security forces
have recovered 20 anti-tank grenades, 13 rockets, one IED booster, two
wireless sets and six IEDs in a search operation at Hathlangoo in Sopore
area.
