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Most wanted J&K militant killed

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

North Kashmir's most wanted militant and two of his bodyguards were killed in a fierce gun battle at village Shiekhpora in Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah's constituency last night.

Abdul Hamid Gada alias Bambar Khan, divisional commander of Hizbul Mujaheedin, was the most wanted militant in north Kashmir, according to senior army officials.

Following a tip-off, troops of 5 Rashtriya Rifles cordoned off Shiekhpora Ganderbal near Srinagar and mounted house-to-house searches, police sources said.

During the operation, troops came under heavy fire from the hiding militants.

The soldiers returned the fire and a fierce gun battle started that continued till late last night.

The troops also fired shells at a house where the militants were hiding. A resident told rediff.com on phone that he heard scores of blasts till late in the evening.

After the encounter, the bodies of Hamid and his two aides were recovered at the house.

Hamid has been active in Ganderbal for the past 10 years and was involved in several attacks on the security forces in the area.

He was also involved in the murder of pro-India militants.

Security forces admitted that Hamid's presence in the area had generated a lot of psychological advantage for the militants.

The killings triggered a spontaneous strike today in the Ganderbal area. Shops were closed as skeletal traffic plied on the roads.

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