J&K government confirms person killed in Udhampur was a militant

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday confirmed that the person killed in a firing incident in Kud town of Udhampur district was a militant who had fired at the security forces.

Minister Ghulam Nabi Hanjura, who belongs to the PDP, told the assembly that the person killed at Karnal Nallah in Kud town on Monday had been identified as Tanveer Sultan, son of Sheikh Muhammad Sultan of Bemina area here.

Security forces including the local police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had stopped a bus at Karnal Nallah on Monday for a search, he said.

"Passengers were asked to get down one by one as the security forces searched them. Tanveer Sultan travelling in the bus opened fire at the security forces injuring three persons," Hanjura said.

"Security forces retaliated and Tanveer was killed in the retaliatory firing. One AK-47 rifle, a pistol and some ammunition was recovered from the slain person."

The family of the deceased claimed he had been unarmed and was on his way to Amritsar for medical treatment.

Earlier Noor Muhammad, an MLA of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had asked the government to explain the circumstances under which the operation had been carried out.

Ali Muhammad Sagar, the legislator of the opposition National Conference, had asked the government to clarify whether the person had been killed in a fake encounter.

--IANS

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