LeT terrorist killed in Baramulla: Police

Srinagar: Police along with security forces on Sunday said they have killed a local LeT militant in an overnight encounter in Binner area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Sharing details, police spokesman in a statement said that acting on specific information generated by police regarding the presence of a militant in village Binner area of Baramulla, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by police along with the troops of Army’s 46RR, SSB 2nd Bn and CRPF 53 Bn in the said area.
During the search operation, as the joint search party approached towards the suspected spot, “the hiding terrorist fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter.”
In the ensuing encounter, “one local categorized terrorist identified as Irshad Ahmad Bhat, son of Fayaz Ahmad, resident of Wailoo Pattan Baramulla, of proscribed terror outfit LeT was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of encounter.”
As per police records, the spokesman said Bhat was active since May 2022. “Before joining terrorist ranks the killed terrorist was working as a terrorist associate of proscribed terror outfit HM along with his father who was a terrorist commander of terror outfit HM and got killed in year 2015 at Devbug,” police spokesman said.
He said Bhat was involved in several cases including an attack on two civilians — Abdul Rehman Wani and Aftab Ahmad Bhat, both residents of Gundaripora Baramulla at their native village on August 11, 2016 in which both received critical gunshot injuries.
“He was also involved in the killing of a civilian Zakir Hussain Bado of Mahmoodpora at Wailoo Baramulla on November 09, 2016,” police said.
Police said that Bhat was arrested by security forces in 2017 along with arms and ammunition. After a period of at least five years he was released on bail by the court in April 2022 “but he did not refrain from his activities and formally joined terrorist ranks in May 2022.”
Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including one AK series rifle, two magazines and 30 rounds have been recovered from the site of the encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation, police said.
In this regard, a case under relevant sections of law has been registered and investigation has been initiated.
People are requested to cooperate with police till the area at the encounter site is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials, if any, police spokesman said.
Pertinently, it is the second operation in Baramulla district in the past 24 hours. Yesterday, one militant was killed in an operation at Wanigam Bla area of Baramulla.
Moreover in Bandipora, police along with Army’s 26 Assam Rifles arrested a “hybrid terrorist” of proscribed LeT identified as Faisal Gulzar, son of Gulzar Ahmad, resident of Hillar Arhama Anantnag, who was missing since July 17, 2022, police spokesman said.
He said incriminating material, arms and ammunition including one pistol was recovered from his possession. In this connection, a case under relevant sections of law has been registered and further investigation has been initiated.