2 terrorists killed in Srinagar gunfight
A top commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) from Pakistan was among the two terrorists killed by security forces in an encounter in Srinagar on Monday, police said.
Officials said that a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Srinagar Police and CRPF in Rambagh area of Srinagar on specific information. “During the search operation, as the presence of terrorists was ascertained they were given the opportunity to surrender after evacuating all the civilians. However, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter in which two terrorists of LeT were killed,” a police spokesperson said.
The killed terrorists were identified as a Pakistani national and top LeT commander Saifullah and Irshad Ahmed Dar alias Abu Usama, a resident of Pulwama who was active since May-2019 and was involved in several civilian killings and attacks.
“The important fact of today’s [Monday’s] operation is that a top terrorist of Lashkar from Pakistan, Saifullah has been killed. He was involved in three major attacks in the past,” said Dilbag Singh, J&K Director General of Police (DGP) at a press conference.
Saifullah infiltrated earlier this year and two months ago shifted his base from north to south Kashmir, said the DGP. The DGP said that he was involved in planning and executing terror attacks on security forces which includes killing of a CRPF officer at Chadoora on September 24, two CRPF personnel at Kandizal area of Pampore on October 5. He was also part of the group involved in killing of two police personnel at Nowgam Srinagar on August 14.
“Srinagar city has witnessed eight encounters so far this year, in which we have been able to neutralise 18 terrorists,” Singh said. So far there have been 75 successful operations this year in which 180 terrorists have been killed while 55 security forces personnel have also lost their lives, the DGP added. He said that all these operations were “neat and clean” except for an unfortunate death of a woman in cross firing at Batamaloo last month.
“In these operations, 19 police and 21 CRPF jawans have been martyred so far besides 15 army jawans, most of whom have been martyred at the border. Also 138 terrorists and their associates have been arrested,” the DGP said.
In the past one week, 10 militants have been killed across Kashmir including three in Shopian, two in Kulgam, two in Pulwama, two in Srinagar in various operations and a militant was also killed after he attacked a BJP leader in Ganderbal, the senior police official said.
“Another important thing is that during the encounter at Pulwama (on October 10), a terrorist from Doda surrendered as we as a matter of policy ask them to surrender,” he said.
“This is the first time that a militant has surrendered during an operation. He is being questioned,” he said. Around 26 persons have returned homes with the help of their families and police help after they had took up arms this year, he added refusing to reveal details.