Junaid Sehrai, top commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen and the son of the Hurriyat conglomerate’s chairman Mohammad Asharaf Sehrai, along with an associate has been killed in a gunfight in Srinagar’s downtown area.
Junaid, an MBA graduate, had joined the Hizbul ranks in March 2018 and was believed to a close associate of the scholar turned militant, Manan Wani. Junaid was a resident of Hyderpora area of the city, originally hailed from Kupwara district of J&K. Another militant killed in the gunfight has been identified as Tariq Ahmad Sheikh from South Kashmir’s Pulwama area.
A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and a Special Operations Group personnel were also injured in the gunfight.
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Atleast 15 houses have been destroyed in the gunfight between the militants and the government forces. Locals have accused the forces of stealing jewelery, money and gas cylinders from the area.
Photo: Bhat Burhan/The Kashmir Walla
The gunfight had started on Tuesday morning after a joint operation was launched by a team of CRPF and J&K police. According to the DG of police, Dilbagh Singh, Junaid Sehrai and his associate were tasked to lure youth into militancy and for grenade throwing. “Sehrai would hold meetings with the youth and lure them towards militancy,” Dilbagh said in a press conference.
“Not more than 240 militants are active in Kashmir,” he said, adding that 73 militants were killed this year so far and 95 militants and their associates were arrested.
Earlier, mobile telecommunications and internet services were snapped in the city.
With inputs from KNO.
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