Top Hizb terrorist gunned down

JAMMU:A top Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, involved in four killings and two weapon snatching incidents, was killed in Doda district on Wednesday, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir police Dilbag Singh said.

“The first 15 days of January were very eventful during which three good operations were conducted (against terrorists) in Kashmir and another in Doda district of Jammu region where a dreaded Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Haroon Abbass Wani was killed this morning,” Singh told reporters here.

The encounter between the ultras and a joint team of Army and police personnel took place in the Gondana belt, Public Relations Officer, Defence, Jammu, Lt Col Devender Anand said.

Wani, a resident of Gattah belt of Doda, along with Osama was involved in the sensational killing of a BJP leader and his brother in November 2018 and RSS functionary and his PSO in January last year besides two weapon snatching incidents in Kishtwar district in 2019, the police chief said.

“After the killing of Osama along with two of his associates in an encounter in Batote area of Ramban district last year, he was trying to revive terrorist activities in Chenab valley region. His killing is a major setback to the terrorism revival plan in the region,” the DGP said.

He said after the killing of Osama, Wani became very active.

“We got information about his presence along with his other associate, hailing from Kashmir. The operation to track down the other militant is continuing,” he said. The DGP further said terrorists are running short of weapons and the weapon snatching was carried out to arm new recruits. “We have recently arrested one more terrorist, Tariq who had bought a .303 rifle for ~1.5 lakh,” he said.