Four 'IS-inspired' militants killed in J&K gunfight

Srinagar, June 23: Four "Islamic State-inspired" militants were killed on Sunday in a gunfight with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district, police said.

Following the gunfight, Director General of Police, Dilbag Singh told reporters that the four militants killed in the Daramdora village of Shopian were locals and belonged to the Islamic State-inspired Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind outfit.

The killing of the four Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind militants comes within a month of the outfit's chief Zakir Musa being killed in a gunfight with security forces in Tral area of Pulwama district on May 24.

Identifying the killed militants as Showkat Ahmed Mir, Rafee Hassan Mir, Suhail Ahmad Bhat and Abdul Azad Ahmad, the DGP said they were led by Showkat Ahmad Mir of Pulwama district and all of them were wanted in many terror-related cases.

Earlier, Defence Ministry spokesman, Colonel Rajesh Kalia had said: "Four terrorists have been killed in Daramdora village of Shopian district. Weapons and other incriminating material have been recovered from their possession."

The gunfight broke out after the security forces started a cordon and search operation in Daramdora village.

"The operation was focused on the orchard area. As the security forces tightened the cordon around the militants, they opened fire, triggering the encounter," a police officer said.

As a precautionary measure, authorities had suspended mobile Internet services in Shopian.