Srinagar: Five Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists were killed on Friday following an overnight encounter with security forces in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, police said Friday.
“The bodies of the slain terrorists have been retrieved and the area is being sanitised,” Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir Zone, V K Birdi said after the 18-hour gunbattle came to an end.
Birdi said the bodies of the slain terrorists were located with the help of drone footage.
The security forces had launched a cordon-and-search operation in Nehama village of Kulgam following information about the presence of terrorists in the area on Thursday, officials said.
“The search operation turned into a gunbattle as the terrorists opened fire towards the security personnel,” they added.
“While the security forces maintained a tight cordon around the area where the ultras were trapped, the operation was suspended at night,” the officials said.
With the first light today, the operation resumed, which resulted in the killing of five terrorists, the officials said.
“The house where the terrorists were hiding caught fire in the exchange of fire in the morning, forcing the ultras to come out,” they said.
The slain terrorists were identified as Sameer Farooq Sheikh, son of Farooq Ahmad of Chak Cholend Shopian (of the People’s Anti-Fascist Front or PAFF); Yasir Bilal Bhat @Humais, son of Bilal Ahmad Bhat, resident of Wanpoh; Danish Hameed Thoker, son of Abdul Hameed; Ubaid Ahmad Padder, son of Wali Mohammad Padder, both residents of Chakoora Shopian; and Hanzal Yaqoob Shah @Hanzilla, son of Mohammad Yaqoob Shah of Rawalpora Shopian (all from The Resistance Force or TRF). While Sheikh had joined the terror ranks in 2021, the others had joined last year or this year, police spokesperson said in a statement.
According to the security officials, “both the PAFF and TRF are shadow outfits of the LeT”.
Briefing the media about the operation, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, South Kashmir Range, Rayees Bhat said the operation was based on specific information regarding the presence of terrorists in Samno village.
“On the receipt of specific inputs regarding the movement of terrorists and based on synergised efforts of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and Army, a joint operation was launched at Samno on Thursday by units of police, 34 Rashtriya Rifles, 9 Para and 18th Battalion of the CRPF. Contact was established with the LeT terrorists who were hiding in a house. In the ensuing encounter, five terrorists were neutralised,” he said.
The officer said according to police records, the slain ultras were categorised as terrorists and were involved in several terror crimes, including attacks on security forces and atrocities on civilians.
“They were involved in the attack on Kashmiri Pandit Sonu Bhat in Shopian last year, the attack on a minority picket at Heerpora Batgund in Shopian, the attack on a cordon party at Wattu Keegam and the attack on non-local labourers earlier this year at Gagran in Shopian,” he added.
Bhat said the operation was a result of synergised efforts among the security forces operating in the area.
“It is a big success because these terrorists were involved in a number of attacks on minorities…. The neutralisation of the terrorists has dealt a serious blow to the outfits operating here and we believe that more successes are on the way,” he added.
The DIG said incriminating materials, arms and ammunition, including four AK-series rifles, four grenades and two pistols, were found from the encounter site.
In this regard, a case under relevant sections of law has been registered and further investigation is in progress. 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 statement said.
