Srinagar, Nov 24: Three militants, including a commander of The Resistance Front (TRF) outfit, wanted in the recent civilian killings in the city, were killed in a shootout on Wednesday, police said.
“Acting swiftly on our own specific input regarding movement of terrorists in Rambagh area of Srinagar, a small team from Srinagar Police signalled a suspected Santro vehicle to stop. However, the terrorists started firing indiscriminately on the police party from inside the car while trying to flee from the spot under the cover of firing. The fire was however effectively retaliated leading to gunfight,” said a police spokesman, in a statement.
However, several people, mostly women, who said they were eye witnesses to the incident, claimed that the trio, were shot dead by the police and that there was no exchange of fire, as the police claim.
Several videos have surfaced on social media in which women who had gathered near the spot of the incident claim that the slain were unarmed and forces shot them “in front of them”.
The slain, as per the police statement, were identified as Mehran Yaseen Shalla resident of Jamalatta Srinagar, Manzoor Ahmad Mir resident of Babhar Pulwama and Arafat Ahmad Sheikh resident of Nikloora Pulwama.
“As per police records, the killed terrorists were linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT (TRF) and part of group involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on security forces and civilian atrocities,” read the statement.
As per police records, Mehran Yaseen was involved in a grenade attack at Barbar Shah Srinagar on 26/06/2021 in which one civilian namely Mudasir Ahmad Bhat resident of Hanjigund Beerwah got killed and three other civilians got critically injured, said the spokesman.
He said the Mehran was involved in the killings of Meeran Ali Sheikh at Bulbul Lanker Nawa Kadal, PSI Arshad Ahmad in Khanyar, school Principal Supinder Kour and teacher Deepak Chand of Government Higher Secondary School, Khankah Noorbagh Sangam.
“Prior to joining in terror ranks, several cases regarding his involvement in stone pelting incidents are also registered against him. Moreover, the other killed terrorist Arafat Ahmad was also involved in several terror crime cases including killing of a non-local labour at Litter area of Pulwama on 16/10/2021,” read the statement further.
“Incriminating materials including arms & ammunition has been recovered from their possession. Police has registered a case in this regard and investigation is in progress.”