Teen terrorist among 5 TRF men shot dead in J&K

SRINAGAR: Five terrorists, including a 17-year-old who had been inducted into the Lashkar-e-Taiba-backed TRF just a few days ago, were on Wednesday killed in a gunfight with security forces in the Sugoo Hendhama area of south Kashmir's Shopian. It was the third successful cordon-and-search operation in Shopian in as many days, taking the number of terrorists killed in the district since the start of the week to 14.
Overall, 27 terrorists – including commanders of the Hizbul Mujahideen – have been shot dead by the police, Army and CRPF across the Valley in just over a week.
"The operation is continuing in Sugoo village even as we speak. We have information that five terrorists have been killed – three at first and two more in a successive round of firing," IGP (Kashmir range) Vijay Kumar said. "The search had been launched on the basis of a specific intelligence input from Shopian police. The 44 Rashtriya Rifles and the CRPF's 178 Battalion joined in the operation."
The slain terrorists were identified as Shakir Ahmad Pal, Adil Hussain Lone, Muneeb-ul-Haq Sheikh, Owais Ahmad Bhat and teenager Shakir Shafi Shah. Two AK-47 rifles, an SLR and a pistol was found on them. Some incriminating documents were seized, too.
The TRF, or The Resistance Front, is suspected to be expanding in Kashmir with ISI's support and increased funding from Pakistan. The fledgling outfit's growing clout is said to be among the reasons why the banned Hizbul Mujahideen's relationship with ISI has lately been under strain.
Meanwhile, mobile internet remained suspended in Shopian district for the third day as a precaution against spread of rumours, the police said.