Srinagar: Two militants including Yasir Parray, “an IED expert” of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed group, and a foreign militant were killed in an encounter in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district Wednesday, officials said.
Giving details of the encounter, police spokesperson in a statement said “on a specific input generated by police regarding presence of terrorists in Qasbayar area of Pulwama,” a joint cordon and search operation was launched by police, Army’s 44RR and 183Bn CRPF in the area.
During the search operation, “as the presence of terrorists got ascertained, they were given opportunity to surrender; however they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter.”
In the ensuing encounter, two militants of proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit JeM were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter.
“The killed terrorists have been identified as Yasir Parray, resident of Qasbayar Pulwama, and a foreign terrorist Abu Furkan alias Ali Bhai, resident of Pakistan,” spokesperson said.
As per police records, spokesperson said both were part of groups involved in planning and executing attacks on security establishments and civilian killings.
Yasir Parray figured among the list of “most-wanted terrorists” operating in the Valley as he was a “highly trained IED expert”.
“Besides other terror crimes, he was also instrumental in motivating and recruiting the youth to join terror folds and other criminal activities,” police spokesperson said.
He said Parray was also involved in carrying out an IED attack at Arihal in which two Army soldiers of 2RR were killed and 17 others injured. He was also involved in an attack on Police Naka at Prichoo Pulwama in which Head Constable Anoop Singh of IRP 10th Bn was killed and many others injured.
“He was also involved in barring people from participating in democratic activities, besides issuing death threats to DDCs, BDCs, Panchs, Sarpanchs, other political workers and police personnel,” spokesperson said.
He said “the other killed terrorist Abu Furkan was active in Kashmir valley since 2018, and figuring among the list of top 60 terrorists” and used to operate in Pulwama and Pakharpora area of Budgam.
“He was involved in various terrorist activities, recruitment of local youth into JeM terror folds and mentoring active terrorists of JeM. He was responsible for providing capabilities on fabrication of IEDs. Moreover, he along with terrorist Yasir Parray were the main conspirators of Avandgund Rajpora VB-IED in which 50Kg IED laden Santro vehicle was recovered and defused by police and security forces. They were also involved in killing of a civilian Azad Ahmad Dar of Kangan Pulwama,” spokesperson said.
He said incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including two AK-series rifles, two pistols were recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation. Police has registered a case under relevant sections of law and investigation has been initiated.
