Video: How top Hizbul commander Sameer 'Tiger' was killed by Major Rohit Shukla in Pulwama encounter
Indian Army on Monday gunned down top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sameer Ahmed Bhat, alias 'Sameer Tiger' after a six-hour-long encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. The mission was led by Major Rohit Shukla, whom Bhat had threatened earlier via a viral video.
The video had surfaced on social media some 24 hours before the encounter. Bhat in the video is heard asking an informer to disclose his identity and names of the persons who were working for Army.
The Hizbul terrorist is also heard telling the man not to inform the security forces in future about their whereabouts, as per reports. At the end of the video, Bhat is heard saying - "Tell Shukla (Major Rohit Shukla) that just because the lion has stopped hunting, dogs think that the whole jungle belongs to them, if Shukla has guts then he should come face to face with us."
Major Shukla, who is posted in 44 Rashtriya Rifles at Pulwama, managed to hunt him down within few hours.
Watch video of how Sameer 'Tiger' was gunned down:
On the day of the encounter, the army got a tip-off that Sameer was holed up inside a house in Drabgam village along with his colleagues. The security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.
Around noon, security personnel, who were fighting stone pelting from the civilians, fired heavily at the house, causing an explosion, officials said.
About an hour later, the first militant, identified as Aaquib Mushtaq, was killed. He was a local resident belonging to Rajpora area of Pulwama. Shortly after, Bhat, who is alleged to have carried out several political and civilian killings in Pulwama area, was gunned down, the officials added.
The Major was also injured in the encounter while another army man suffered bullet injuries. They were evacuated and airlifted to Srinagar’s 92 base hospital of the Army.
