Anantnag Encounter: One of Oldest Surviving Hizbul Militants Among 3 Dead in J&K

The search op turned into an encounter as the militants in hiding fired at the security forces, the police said.

Security forces near the Pahalgam area. 

(Photo: Muneeb Ul Islam)

Ashraf Molvi, one of the oldest surviving militants of the outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, is among the three militants who have been killed in an encounter in the Batkoot woods of Pahalgam in Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on Friday, 6 May.

"Ashraf Molvi (one of oldest surviving terrorists of HM terror outfit) along with two other terrorists killed,” Kashmir Zone Police confirmed on Twitter.

Mohd Ashraf Khan alias Ashraf Molvi was a resident of Tengpawa Kokernag and had joined Hizbul Mujahideen in 2013. Active since then, the militant eventually became the most wanted militant in the valley.

Molvi was also instrumental in recruiting locals into the terrorist oufit, Kashmir Inspector general of police (IGP) Vijay Kumar said.

The top cop told news agency ANI, "On the basis of joint interrogation of the terrorist, raids were conducted where three other terrorists were killed. They were involved in killings and attacks on security personnel," Kumar added.

Pahalgam area in Anantnag district.

The operation took place on the route of the yearly Amarnath Yatra. It was "a major success for us," the security forces stated.

The Kashmir police noted they had certain inputs about the "presence of terrorists at the forest area of Srichand Top" in the Pahalgam area after which the operation was conducted, ANI reported.

The search operation conducted by a joint team of police and 19RR of the army turned into an encounter as the three militants in hiding fired at the security forces and were thereafter eliminated, the police added.

(With inputs from Muneeb Ul Islam and ANI.)