Srinagar: Four militants, including a Pakistani commander of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), were killed and one militant was arrested in three separate encounters with security forces in Kashmir, police said on Saturday.
The encounters took place in Pulwama, Ganderbal and Kupwara districts of the Kashmir Valley, a police official said.
He said two JeM militants, including a Pakistani national, were killed in an overnight encounter in the Chewaklan area of Pulwama in south Kashmir.
Giving details, police spokesperson in a statement said that in Pulwama, acting on specific information regarding presence of militants in village Chewaklan, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by police, 50RR and 182 Bn CRPF.
“As the search party moved towards local Dar-ul-Uloom, terrorist hiding inside fired indiscriminately upon the search party in which one civilian identified as Zahoor Ahmad Shergojri, son of Mohammad Abdullah of Chewklan, received gunshot injury,” police spokesperson said, adding that the injured civilian was later shifted to hospital where his condition is said to be stable.
“The joint party retaliated the fire leading to an encounter. Keeping the sanctity of the institution into mind, operation was carried out with all due precautions and deliberations,” the spokesperson said.
“In the ensuing encounter, two terrorists were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. One of the killed terrorists has been identified as a Pakistani commander Kamaal Bhai alias Jatt, while the other has been identified as Aqib Mushtaq alias Usman Hyder, son of Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat, resident of Karimabad Pulwama. Both were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit JeM,” the spokesman said.
“Pakistani terrorist killed in Pulwama encounter identified as JeM commander Kamaal Bhai @ Jatt. He was active since 2018 in Pulwama-Shopian area & involved in several terror crimes & civilian atrocities,” Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, said in a tweet.
Police spokesperson also informed that police in Pulwama alongwith 50RR, 183Bn CRPF also arrested an “active terrorist” during another operation in village Wahibugh.
He arrested the arrested militant as Rouf Ahmad Mir, son of Mohammad Yousuf Mir, resident of Parigam Pulwama.
Incriminating material, arms and ammunition including a pistol, two magazines, 26 rounds, three grenades and one pouch were recovered from his possession, police said.
Two more operations were launched in village Nechama Rajwar area of Handwara by police, 21RR and 9 Para, and in village Serch area of Ganderbal by police, 24RR and 115 Bn CRPF, spokesperson informed.
He said as the joint search parties approached towards suspected spots, “the hiding terrorists started firing indiscriminately on the search parties which was retaliated leading to encounters at both the places.”
In the ensuing encounters at Handwara and Ganderbal, “one terrorist each, affiliated with proscribed outfit LeT were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounters,” spokesperson said.
He said the militant killed in Handwara encounter has been identified as Suhail Ahmad Ganie, son of Gulzar Ahmad, resident of Terigam Kulgam, while the one killed in Ganderbal has been identified as Adil Ahmad Khan, son of Abdul Ahad, resident of Badarkund Ganderbal.
As per police records, “the killed terrorists were categorized terrorists and part of group involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on police, security forces and civilian atrocities,” he said.
The spokesperson also said that “killed Pakistani terrorist Kamaal Bhai was active since 2018 in Shopian-Pulwama areas. Terrorist Adil Khan killed in Ganderbal was involved in attack on vice-president of BJP of dist Ganderbal on Oct 06, 2020, civilian killings in Srinagar, besides facilitated grenade attack at Towheed Chowk and Chappargund, Ganderbal. He was also involved in motivating youth to join terror folds.”
From the three encounter sites, incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including two AK-56 rifles, one AK short barrel rifle, one pistol, nine AK-magazines, one grenade, eight pistol rounds and 32 AK rounds have been recovered, the spokesperson said.
IGP Kashmir termed the killing of “wanted Pakistani terrorist” as a big success and congratulated the joint forces for conducting successful operations without any collateral damage. He also stressed on the officers to speed up the “anti-terrorist operations so as to make the valley terror-free,” the spokesperson said.
