Hizbul commander in Valley killed in gunbattle, police call it big success

“This is a huge success for the police and security forces. This is not a small achievement,” Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar told reporters at the encounter site. (Express photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

In a major setback to the Hizbul Mujahideen, the militant outfit’s operations chief in the Valley was killed in a gunfight with a team of J&K Police and paramilitary forces at Rangreth on the outskirts of Srinagar on Sunday.

Saif-ul-Islam Mir alias Dr Saifullah had taken over as the chief of the Hizb in the Valley after the killing of Riyaz Naikoo in May this year, and was one of the most wanted militants in…