| Srinagar |
November 2, 2020 4:50:39 am
In a major setback to the Hizbul Mujahideen, the militant outfit's operations chief in the Valley was killed in a gunfight with a team of J&K Police and paramilitary forces at Rangreth on the outskirts of Srinagar on Sunday.
Saif-ul-Islam Mir alias Dr Saifullah had taken over as the chief of the Hizb in the Valley after the killing of Riyaz Naikoo in May this year, and was one of the most wanted militants in Kashmir.
Early on Sunday morning, police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel cordoned off the Rangreth neighbourhood after specific inputs about the presence of the militant commander in the area. A team of the Army's 53 Rashtriya Rifles also joined the operation subsequently, police said.
As the security personnel closed in on the house, the militant opened indiscriminate fire. In the resulting gunfight, Mir was killed.
“This is a big success for police and security forces,” Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar said. “We have captured alive a suspect from the…