Jaish’s IED expert among 2 terrorists killed in Pulwama

Two AK series rifles, two UBGL along with 12 grenades, several AK magazines and rounds recovered

SRINAGAR: Two terrorists, including an IED expert of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group, were killed in an encounter in Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Wednesday, police said.

According to officials familiar with the matter, the encounter broke out during a search operation in Qasbayar village of Pulwama on Wednesday. The police have identified the terrorists as Jaish IED expert Yasir Parray and Pakistan national Ali Bhai.

Confirming the killings, director-general of police Dilbag Singh termed the encounter a big success.

“Both of them were involved in the terror activities. Yasir Parray was involved in an IED attack on the army in which two soldiers were killed and many others injured. He (Parray) was considered as an IED expert,” he said.

Ali Bhai, too, was involved in a lot of terror activities in the area. “Both of them were working jointly and they had more than one dozen FIRs registered against them.”

Inspector-General of Police (Kashmir), Vijay Kumar, too, described both the terrorists as experts in handling IEDs.

Speaking about the growing threat of the The Resistance Force (TRF) -- an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba -- DGP Singh said: “All the groups active in Kashmir like Jaish and Lashkar and its affiliates are carrying out attacks but the TRF is claiming responsibility as if locals are doing this, which isn’t true.”

Two AK series rifles, two UBGL along with 12 grenades, several AK magazines and rounds were recovered from the area after the operation ended at 8.45am on Wednesday, officials said.

They said Parray was instrumental in guiding various groups of Jaish terror group in South Kashmir and he had climbed the hierarchy ladder of the banned terror group swiftly after joining them in late 2018. Parray, who carried a cash reward, was behind the improvised explosive device (IED) blast on the multi-vehicle patrol of the 44 Rashtriya Rifles in June 2019, when it was moving on the Arihal-Pulwama road.

According to Srinagar-based army spokesperson, the Jammu and Kashmir Police described Ali Bhai as a ruthless category ‘A+’ Pakistani terrorist who was known to be active with the Jaish-e-Mohammed since June, 2020.

Parrey, was a notorious category ‘ B’ terrorist, who was known to be associated with various Pakistani terrorists and he acted as a guide for bringing them into Kashmir.

Parray was a known associate of Pakistani terrorist Abu Saifullah, who had planned the Pulwama convoy attack on the CRPF in February 2019, the spokesperson added.

Yasir Parray was involved in an IED attack on the army in which two soldiers were killed and many others injured.

DILBAG SINGH, directorgeneral of police