Thaindian News

Srinagar, March 31 (IANS) An activist of the ruling National Conference (NC) was shot dead in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, police said Thursday, adding the killers had been identified as Hizbul Mujahideen militants.

Ghulam Mohiuddin Bhat, the NC’s block president, was shot dead at his home in in Pinglish village late Wednesday, and his wife Haseena critically injured. She was brought to Srinagar for treatment.

A police statement issued here said: “Awantipora police has identified the killers of Ghulam Mohiuddin Bhat in Pinglish.”

“On March 30, 2011 at about 10 p.m. three militants called Bhat out to identify the house of Sajad Ahmad alias Bale Bale, an active militant of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) outfit in the same village.

“As Bhat came out of his house, militants fired upon him resulting in his death on the spot. His wife Haseena Bano also received injuries in her hand. She was shifted to Bone and Joint Hospital Srinagar.

“Highly reliable inputs suggest that Bhat has been killed by Sajad Ahmad alias Bale Bale, resident of Pinglish village who is divisional commander of HM outfit in South Kashmir and two of his associates, one of whom has been identified as Shabir Ahmad, a resident of Tral”.

The statement also said during the past month, anti-militancy operations had been stepped up by the security forces in south Kashmir after the onset of spring and movement of militants from winter hideouts in mountains to the populated areas.

“Strenuous efforts are being made to locate the presence of militants. Recently police succeeded in eliminating militant Shabir Ahmad Qureshi, district commander of Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) outfit in an encounter at Dadsara (Tral) village of Pulwama district.”

Pulwama district is 44 km from Srinagar