Missing srinagar scholar has joined militants: police

Day after the family of missing Ph.D scholar Hilal Ahmad Dar of Bemina Srinagar protested here seeking his whereabouts, police said the youth had joined militant ranks. Hilal, who was

pursuing Ph.D in Management, went missing on June 13 during a trek to high altitude Naranag in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. While his four other friends returned home on the same

evening, Hilal did not. “He has joined Hizbul Mujahideen,” Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar told reporters on the sidelines of a wreath-laying ceremony of a CRPF man killed

in a gunfight in Pulwama. Two militants were also killed in the encounter. “If his family brings him back, we won’t arrest him,” the IGP said. Hilal’s family staged a protest on Monday

asking the administration and police to take concrete steps to locate him. The wreath laying ceremony was held for head constable Sunil Kale of CRPF 182 Battalion who was killed during the

operation in Bundzoo area of Pulwama. Two militants were also killed by security forces during the encounter. IED THREAT LOOMING: DGP Director General of Police, Dilbagh Singh, who was

present during the wreath laying ceremony said that militants were planning an IED attack. “We are fully alert to meet any eventuality,” he said. Hideout busted in Srinagar: Army Security

forces on Tuesday busted a militant hideout in Harwan area of Srinagar and recovered arms and ammunition, officials said. In a statement, army said that the joint operation was launched

today morning following inputs from “own sources” and corroborated by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. “An active hideout busted & war like stores – UBGL with grenades, GPS, AK magazine

& administrative stores recovered. Joint operation in progress,” the army statement.