Mohammad Altaf Bhat was slain in an encounter in Hyderpora; however, the family insist he was not a militant and not on the complex.
A tweet from the Kashmir Zone Police: #SrinagarEncounterUpdate: The house owner who was injured in terrorist fire, succumbed to his injuries. #Terrorists have been hiding on top floor of his building. As per source and digital evidence, he has been working as #terror associate. Search is still going on: IGP Kashmir
#SrinagarEncounterUpdate: The house owner who was injured in terrorist fire, succumbed to his injuries. #Terrorists have been hiding on top floor of his building. As per source and digital evidence, he has been working as #terror associate. Search is still going on: IGP Kashmir https://t.co/rRfPbiqq1C
— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) November 15, 2021
The IGP of Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said, “The house owner who was injured in a terrorist fire succumbed to his injuries.
However, the family state that the encounter did not take place in the complex and states that the police and Army searched the premises thrice and then took Altaf Bhat along. Apparently, he was shot during the cross firing and later succumbed to his injuries.
Mohammad Altaf Bhat was the house owner while the terrorists had been hiding on the top floor of his building. As per source and digital evidence, he has been working as a terror associate. Search is still going on: IGP Kashmir,” said a tweet from Kashmir Zone Police. So far, two unidentified terrorists have been killed in the encounter, which is still going on.
His family asserts that Altaf Bhat had no terror links and one of his nieces says that “My uncle was murdered, he runs a cement and hardware shop and owns the complex which the police searched.” She asserted that he had no militant-terrorist connections, directly or indirectly. She said that they were on the Barzulla Bridge, searching for his body after they failed to get it on visiting the PCR and police station. They want to at least give him a decent burial.
Bhat is survived by his wife, two daughters, and son.
In turbulent times, it is easy to frame anyone in the line of fire as a terrorist and the public soaks it up gullibly. Without verifying such claims, it is important to provide clear evidence before declaring anyone a terrorist because many may just be innocent civilians caught in the line of fire and it affects their families negatively. Taking refuge in complexes cannot be stopped, especially under the threat of a gun, so a militant in your home does not prove you are a terrorist.
Video from family:
Daughter of Altaf Ahamad Bhat who was killed in Hyderpora Srinagar encounter talking to media.#kashmir pic.twitter.com/mHbcjGnmAy
— kamran yousuf (@kamranyousuf_) November 16, 2021