Top Al-Badr commander Zeenat-ul-Islam among 2 militants killed in Kulgam encounter

Srinagar: A top Al-Badr commander was among two militants killed in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir district of Kulgam.

Defence Ministry spokesperson Col Rajesh Kalia told UNI that following specific information about presence of militants, troops of Rashitriya Rifles (RR), Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police and CRPF launched a joint search operation at Yaripora in Kulgam on Saturday evening.

When the security forces were sealing the area, militants hiding there, opened indiscriminate firing with automatic weapons, he said, adding security forces also retaliated ensuing in an encounter.

Col Kalia said two militants were killed in the encounter late on Saturday evening. “The slain militants were identified as Zeenat-ul-Islam and Shakeel Ahmed Dar. Weapons and other warlike stores recovered,” he added.

Official sources said Zeenat was a top Al-Badr commander, who was reportedly an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) expert. Zeenat was earlier affiliated with Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), but had joined Al-Badr in November last year. Dar was also associated with Al-Badr. (UNI)