Militants Involved In Abduction And Killing Of Cop Trapped In Encounter, 3 Killed: Police

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday said a group of militants, who tortured and killed a policeman after abducting him, are killed in an encounter with the police and the Army.

Director General of Police, Shesh Paul Vaid early morning tweeted that “terrorist group that tortured our colleague CT Mohd Saleem of Kulgam and killed him brutally are all trapped in an encounter with Jammu and Kashmir Police, Army, CRPF in Khudwani Kulgam.”  Later, in another tweet, he said three bodies of the militants have been recovered along with the three weapons from the encounter site.

The encounter began Sundaymorning as security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Khudwani after receiving specific intelligence input about the presence of militants in the area.

The search operation turned into a gun battle as the militants fired upon the search party of the forces who retaliated and in the ensuing gun fight, three militants were killed.

While the identity and group affiliation of the slain ultras was yet to be ascertained, the police had on Saturday said the militants behind the abduction and killing of the constable belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen outfit.

 On Saturday afternoon the bullet-riddled body of a policeman, Muhammad Saleem Shah, who was abducted by militants on Friday evening from his Mutalhama in Kulgam district, was recovered from Redwani Payeen in the same district.

READ ALSO: J&K Constable Found Dead With Multiple Bullet Injuries After Bieng Abducted By Militants

Police said the body bore severe torture marks indicating that he was brutally tortured to death by the militants. The policeman had joined the services in 2016 and after completing his basic training he was posted to DPL Pulwama. The police said that the initial investigation into the matter has indicated it as a handiwork of proscribed militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen. The policeman was undergoing training in Kathua and was on leave.

Earlier, on July 5, a constable Javaid Ahmad Dar, who was also at home on leave, was abducted from Vehil, Shopian and later his body was found near a stream by the villagers in Pariwan, Kulgam, the very next day.