Srinagar: The Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant killed in the encounter with security forces in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir has been identified as Babar Bhai of Pakistan who was active since 2018, police said on Thursday.
The encounter took place in Pariwan area of the south Kashmir district on Wednesday after the security forces launched a cordon and search operation following information about the presence of terrorists there.
“Killed JeM #terrorist identified as Babar bhai of #Pakistan, active since 2018 in the areas of Shopian-Kulgam,” Kashmir Zone Police said on Twitter.
The police said an AK rifle, a pistol and two grenades were recovered from the site of the encounter.
A policeman was also killed and five persons including three soldiers injured in the encounter.
“One police personnel SgCt Rohit Chhib attained #martyrdom, 03 Army soldiers got injured. 02 civilians also got minor injuries. 01 #terrorist of #terror outfit JeM killed. #Operation continues,” Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone, Vijay Kumar, had said on Twitter.
An Army spokesman said the operation was launched based on HUMINT (human intelligence) about the presence of terrorists in the area and the security forces had to exercise maximum restraint since the area had civilians even as the terrorist opened fire and lobbed a grenade.
“Suspect houses were cordoned as the security forces were carrying out house to house searches. At about 8.45 PM, while searching a house, a terrorist opened fire with AK and lobbed a grenade.
“Since the area and house had civilians, the security forces exercised restraint to first evacuate the civilians. In the process one JKP Constable was mortally wounded, three soldiers and two civilians were injured,” the spokesman said.
He said the injured, including the civilians, were evacuated to Army’s 92 base hospital here, including the evacuation of one of the civilians by an Army helicopter.
All the injured are stable, he added.
Meanwhile, IGP Kashmir accompanied by DIG SKR & SSP Kulgam visited the encounter site and SOG camp NillowKulgam, where besides interacting with JKP, Army and CRPF personnel, he also reviewed the security grid & operational aspects.
A police spokesman said that IGP Kashmir while interacting with media at Kulgam said that the owner and his family members where the killed terrorist was hiding deliberately misled the search team by saying that no terrorist was hiding in their house which led to collateral damage. Therefore action under terror law will be taken against them. He also said that so far 14 terrorists have been neutralized during the current year out of which 7 are foreign terrorists including 1 killed at LOC in Kupwara.
IGP Kashmir on behalf of police parivaar paid rich tributes to the martyred Police Personnel and also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. He has congratulated the joint forces for ‘eliminating the most wanted Pakistani terrorist’.
Police have registered a case under relevant sections of law and investigation has been initiated. People are requested to cooperate with Police till the area at encounter site is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials, if any, the spokesman said.
