JeM’s Pulwama planner killed in gunfight: Police
SRINAGAR: Two Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists, including a commander, who were allegedly involved in the planning of the 2019 Pulwama attack that left 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers dead, were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces on Saturday, the Jammu & Kashmir Police said.
The Pulwama attack escalated tensions between India and Pakistan as it prompted New Delhi to launch an air strike on a JeM camp inside the Pakistani territory. The Pakistani air force tried to carry out a retaliatory attack. An Indian pilot was captured by the Pakistani side after a dogfight with an enemy aircraft before being released days later.
Inspector general of police (Kashmir) Vijay Kumar identified the commander as Ismal Alvi alias Lamboo alias Adnan and said he was a relative of Masood Azhar, who founded JeM after his release from an Indian prison in exchange of passengers of a hijacked plane in 1999.
Kumar said the two terrorists were killed in the exchange of fire in Pulwama district triggered during a cordon and search operation in a forest. He added Alvi was involved in conspiracy and planning of the Pulwama attack and stayed with Adil Dar, the suicide bomber who rammed his explosivesladen car into a CRPF convoy, till the day of assault. He added Dar’s video on the attack also featured Alvi’s voice.
The second terrorist, identified as Sameer Dar ( an A+ category ultra), a resident of Pulwama,was also involved in the 2019 attack and figured in an NIA chargesheet in the case, said the police.
“He was also involved in Let hp or a Terror Attack and figured in NIA’s chargesheet. Out of 19 accused, eight terrorists have been killed so far,” said Kumar.
Giving details of the operation, the GoC of the south Kashmir-based Victor Force of the army, Major General Rashim Bali, told news agency PTI that there was a lot of intelligence from the police as well as the locals “about the movement and the way this gentleman has been ill-treating the locals there”.
The National Investigation Agency last year charged Pakideployed stan-based Azhar, his two brothers, nephew and 15 others for their role in the February 2019 attack. At least six of the 19 accused were earlier killed in counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir, while many have been arrested. India in late February 2019 handed over a dossier to Pakistan with specific details of JeM complicity in the attack.
The Jammu & Kashmir Police called the commander’s killing a big success and a setback to Jaish. The encounter comes as security forces have intensified their counter-insurgency operations in the Valley.
At least 87 terrorists have been killed in Kashmir since January this year.
They include top commanders of groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen.