Former journalist dies in Valley gunfight

A police spokesman said Rayees was a former journalist who used to run an Anantnag-based online portal called Valley News Service

Representational image. : File photo

Muzaffar Raina   |   TT  |  Srinagar   |   31.03.22  : Jammu and Kashmir police on Wednesday said two militants were killed in a gunfight in Srinagar. One of the deceased was described as a former journalist.

The police said a cordon-and-search operation in Srinagar’s Rainawari led to the gunfight, killing two Lashkar-e-Toiba militants identified as Rayees Ahmad Bhat and Hilal Ahmad Bhat, both residents of south Kashmir’s Bijbehara.

A police spokesman said Rayees was a former journalist who used to run an Anantnag-based online portal called Valley News Service.

An identity card shared by the police described Rayees as editor-in-chief of the portal. The ID had expired on December 31.

“It indicates a clear case of misuse of media,” Valley police chief Vijay Kumar tweeted.

The police said it launched the joint operation in Rainawari following inputs about the presence of militants.

“As the search party proceeded towards the suspected spot, the terrorists fired indiscriminately on the. The search party retaliated, effectively leading to an encounter,” the spokesman said.

Locals said the gunfight was brief.