Harkat commander killed: Indian army

SRINAGAR: The Indian military on Wednesday claimed to have killed the commander of Harkatul Mujahedin, one of Indian Kashmir’s “most wanted” militants, in a gun battle.

The commander, who has been identified as a Pakistani named Nouman, was killed in an overnight shootout with soldiers, army spokesman J S Brar told AFP.

Harkatul Mujahedin is one of a number of groups fighting against New Delhi’s rule in Indian Kashmir.

Brar said Nouman was Kashmir valley’s “top most militant”, wanted for a number of attacks including masterminding a nearly 24-hour siege at a hotel in the centre of Srinagar in January.

“His death is a big jolt to insurgency in Kashmir,” he said, adding Nouman was an expert bomb-maker.

The gun battle that killed him took place in Sopore town, about 50 km north of Srinagar, and also left an unidentified accomplice and an Indian soldier dead.

In further violence, a civilian was shot dead in the southern district of Kishtiwar early Wednesday by suspected militants, according to the Indian police.

Kashmir has been hit by demonstrations following the killing of a 17-year-old boy by the police in June. Since then, another 16 protesters and bystanders have been killed.

Indian police and paramilitary troops enforced a strict lockdown on Wednesday in parts of Kashmir valley after separatists called for fresh protests, while in Srinagar and other main towns a general strike called by separatists halted life for the fourth day running.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22nd, 2010.