Police gun down killer of Sopore sisters

In a major success, security forces gunned down on Sunday one of the three militants involved in the killing of Sopore sisters Akthara, 20, and Arifa, 17, on January 31. The murder had sparked outrage across the nation.

Waseem Ahmad Ganai alias Sher Uni, district commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the main accused of the murder, was killed in an encounter with a column of police, 22 Rashtriya Rifles and CRPF in Muslim Peer area of Sopore.

Police said Ganai’s partner in crime Muzaffar Ahmad Naikoo alias Muz Molvi of Khushal Mattoo, Sopore, was on the run.

Akthara and Arifa were dragged out of their house at Muslim Peer and taken to a nearby mohalla (locality) and shot dead from point-blank range. One of the girls was shot in the eye, while the other was hit in the chest. The militants suspected them to be police informers.