Valley News Desk

Srinagar:Two militants including a PhD scholar-turned-militant, Manan Wani was killed in an encounter that raged between forces and militants in Shahgund Qalamabad area of Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

The encounter broke in the village in the wee hours of this morning after police and forces launched a joint operation in the area following the inputs about the presence of militants there.

“During the searches launched in the wee hours, the hiding militants fired on the search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter. Consequently the civilians in the nearby areas were evacuated. Further following the SOP attempts to make the militants to surrender failed,” police spokesman.

In the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed, police said, adding that no collateral damage has taken place in the operation.

A top police while confirming the identity of the two slain militants to KNS said that Manan Wani was among the two slain militants who were in Handwara gunfight.

The top cop further identified the second militant as Ashiq Ahmad of Handwara.

Meanwhile, police said that “incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter.”

Police also said that it has registered a case in this regard and the investigation has been initiated in the instant manner.

Meanwhile, a complete shutdown was observed on Friday across Kashmir on the call given by JRL. All the shops and business establishments remained closed while as the traffic was also thin on the roads, witnesses said, adding that the clashes also broke out at many places during which forces used tear gas canisters to disperse the youths.

Thousands participated the funeral prayers of slain militant Manan Wani.People from different parts of the valley had assembled in the ground of English Medium Public School at Tikipora Lolab.The dead body of slain Manan was taken to Lolab in a Casper vehicle.

Manan who had joined the militant ranks on January 05 this year, was doing PhD in Geology at Aligarh Muslim University.His father Bashir Ahmad Wani is a retired headmaster while as his one brother.The other brother and a lone sister of Manan are student. (KNS)

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