Srinagar: Hizbul Mujahideen operational commander Yasin Yatoo, alias Mehmood Ghaznavi, was among three militants killed in an 18-hour-long gunfight in south Kashmir’s Shopian district that ended on Sunday. Two soldiers of Army’s counter insurgency unit were also killed and three others were injured in the gunfight.

Srinagar: Hizbul Mujahideen operational commander Yasin Yatoo, alias Mehmood Ghaznavi, was among three militants killed in an 18-hour-long gunfight in south Kashmir’s Shopian district that ended on Sunday. Two soldiers of Army’s counter insurgency unit were also killed and three others were injured in the gunfight. 

The police said three militants, including Ghaznavi, 41, were killed in a fierce gunfight at Awneera village, some 70 km from Srinagar, in a joint operation. DGP Shesh Paul Vaid described Yatoo’s killing as a huge success.

The operation was launched after an input that top Hizbul militants led by Ghaznavi and other commanders, including Saddam Padroo and Altaf Kachroo, had assembled at Awneera.

“While the cordon was being laid, forces came under fire from inside the house and outside the cordon and in the process, five security men, including an officer, were injured. Two Armymen succumbed to their injuries,” Shopian SP Ambarkar S Dinkar said. They were identified as Sepoy Ilayaraja P from Tamil Nadu and Sepoy Gawai Sumedh Waman, 25, from Maharashtra.

After the initial gunfight, the militants took shelter in the houses and a fierce gunfight followed. There was lull for some time and firing resumed this morning. The other slain militants were identified as Irfan-ul-Haq Sheikh of Shopian and Umar Majid Sheikh of Kulgam. They had joined militancy last year.