Kashmir: Top Hizb commander Sabzar killed in Tral

People carry body of Hizb Commander Sabzar Bhat to his home. PHOTO: Mir Wasim/GK

Kashmir: Top Hizb commander Sabzar killed in Tral
2 houses destroyed, 2 militants escape: Claim locals

ABID BASHIR
Srinagar, Publish Date: May 28 2017 12:48AM | Updated Date: May 28 2017 2:24AM

A top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat and his close aide Faizan Ahmed were killed in a gunfight with the government forces at Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday. 

A top police official said, “Soon after the militants believed to be Sabzar and his two aides, attacked an army patrol at Saimoh village in Tral on Friday evening, forces laid a siege of around three villages. There was no clue about the exact location of the house where the militants were hiding but we were sure that militants were holed up.

“As the inputs were further corroborated, during the night long cordon and with the first light of the day the house where militants had taken a refuge in Saimoh village was zeroed in on and both the militants were killed.”

Locals said as the search was on, the forces blew up two residential houses using explosives. “One house of Abdul Rashid Mir was set ablaze by forces on late Friday night although there was no militant inside.

“However, on early Saturday morning forces conducted house to house searches.  As soon as the force personnel entered into the house of Ghulam Hassan Bhat, where militants were hiding, the militants fired on them. Forces returned the fire triggering an encounter in which both the militants were killed,” sources added.

The slain militants were identified as Sabzar Bhat son of Ghulam Hassan Bhat of Rathsun, Tral and his associate Faizan Ahmed son of Muzaffar Ahmed Bhat of Darul Uloom Road Tral.

Locals claimed at least two militants, including Adil Rashid Chopan, of Lurow village managed to flee from the encounter spot after people rushed to help them escape. “We saw them in an injured condition but they managed to escape successfully,” locals said.

A Police official said that Sabzar had joined militant ranks in April 2015 after snatching a riffle from force personnel and was a close confidant of slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.
Meanwhile, Director General of Police (DGP) Dr S P Vaid termed Sabzar’s killing a “great success” for the forces, including Army and CRPF.

An Army officer said that they had a specific lead about the presence of the Hizb commander. “The encounter was conducted in a very coordinated and smooth manner,” the officer said.

“Army’s 42 RR, Special Operation Group of Police and 180 bn of CRPF were involved in the operation,” he said.