IPS officer’s brother among 3 militants killed in Shopian gunfight

Three militants, including brother of an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, were killed in a gunfight in south Kashmir’s Shopian on Tuesday, sparking attacks on security forces by locals.

An official said the militants’ bodies were retrieved from Shopian’s Heff-Shirmal area. “The identification process of the militants has been initiated,” police said.

The operation was jointly carried out by the Army’s 44 Rashtriya Rifles, Para commandos and the police’s Special Operation Group (SOG) following inputs about the presence of militants, including the brother of an IPS officer, in the area.

“One soldier was injured in the gunfight,” said an official.

Preliminary reports suggest at least four militants were trapped in an orchard, where the security forces managed to blast the hideout. However, only three bodies have been spotted so far, said an official.

Shamsul Haq Mengnoo, whose elder brother Inamul Haq is an IPS officer and posted in the Northeast, was pursuing the Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS) degree from a government college on Zakura campus and joined militancy last year. The family hailed from Dragad in Shopian.

Former Director General of Police S.P. Vaid described Menghoo’s death as “a sad end”.

“I remember the efforts that were made by his brother and other family members and the J&K police to bring him back to mainstream but he met a sad end today,” said Mr. Vaid, at present serving as a transport commissioner.

four photojournalists suffered pellet injuries in Shopian, as locals clashed with security forces.

Mobile Internet has been suspended “as a precautionary measure” in the district.

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