Kashmir: Four killed in Hyderpora gunfight

IGP Kashmir says civilian was "militant associate", family denies charge

Kashmir
Image Courtesy:fastkashmir.com

Four people were killed in the Monday night gunfight in Hyderpora area of Srinagar. According to Kashmir’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, these include two militants including a foreigner identified as Haider/Bilal Bhai, a local named Mudasir Gul who the police termed to be an Over Ground Worker (OGW) or “militant associate”, and the building owner identified as Altaf Ahmed, who has also been named as Altaf Ahmed Bhat in some media reports.

The IGP held a press conference at Police Control Room (PCR) Srinagar, and said that after receiving a tip off on the presence of militants near national highway at Hyderpora, “Police, CRPF and the army laid a cordon and when the suspected spot was zeroed in, militants fired indiscriminately at the forces.” 

Kashmir Police also shared details on social media:

IGP Kumar said that Haider/Bilal Bhai and his local associate possibly, from Banihal area of Jammu, were killed in the gunfight. He added, “We have called a family from Banihal to identify the slain.”

He said that the building owner may have been killed in the “cross-fire”. He said, “It is not clear whether militant bullets or the bullets fired by forces hit him. Militants were carrying pistols and it would be clear after investigations whose bullet hit him.”

The fourth person killed was an OGW who had allegedly provided space to Haider to use as a “militant hideout.” He added that Mudasir Gul, who was living on rent in the building, had provided shelter to Haider and his associate and so, “This way he was harbouring militants. Mudasir was also involved in ferrying Haider from the recent attack site of Jamalatta Srinagar where a police man was injured.” He further said that Mudasir was a businessman/contractor by profession, and was also running a call centre.

Mudasir’ family has denied the charges and demanded justice.

 

According to a report in Greater Kashmir, the IGP stated that  two pistols, two magazines, half-a-dozen mobile phones and a few computers were recovered from the encounter site. However the police did not hand over Altaf Ahmed’s body to his family, because according to IGP Kumar, “There was an apprehension of law and order.”

Altaf and Mudasir were buried in Handwara in northern Kashmir, reported GK. For the last two years, police in Kashmir do not hand over the bodies of militants killed in encounters to the family for last rites citing their funerals create a law and order situation, according to a report in News18.

However, Altaf Ahmed’s family have denied the police claim that he had any links with militants. According to News18, Altaf’s family has said that he was used as a human shield and had no links with any militant group, and have demanded justice for him. Police officials said that he was injured in a terrorist fire and later succumbed to his injuries. “As per source and digital evidence, he has been working as a terror associate,” said IGP Kumar. 

But the family of Altaf Ahmad, a shopkeeper who owned the multi-storey building, alleged that he “was used as a human shield during the gunbattle.” His niece Saima Bhat, said, “My uncle has been murdered. He was used as a human shield in a staged encounter. He runs a hardware shop and owns the complex where the forces had come for checking.”

His daughters also said the same and recounted the sequence of events.

 

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