2 militants involved in attacks on non-locals shot dead in Pulwama
Members of Al-Badr were neutralised in an overnight encounter
SRINAGAR: J&K Police on Thursday said two militants responsible for the recent attacks on non-local labourers in Pulwama were eliminated in an overnight encounter.
The police and army had on Wednesday night launched a joint operation in Pulwama, which ended with the killing of two militants.
“On a specific input generated by Pulwama police regarding presence of terrorists in Mitrigam area, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by police, army (44RR) and CRPF. During the search operation, as the joint search party proceeded towards the suspected spot, the terrorists fired indiscriminately upon the security personnel, which was retaliated leading to an encounter. In the initial exchange of fire, one soldier had received gunshot injuries. He was immediately rushed to a hospital. However, the operation was halted to ensure safe evacuation of all civilians trapped around the encounter site. All due precautions were taken to avoid any collateral damage,” a police
spokesperson said in a statement. “In the ensuing operation, two local terrorists identified as Aijaz Hafiz of Dalipora and Shahid Ayub of Dheeri Murran linked with proscribed terror outfit Al-Badr were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter,” he added.
The spokesperson said as per police records, both of them were categorised terrorists and part of groups involved in a series of terror crimes, including attacks on security forces and civilian atrocities.
“They were involved in series of recent terror attacks on labourers in Pulwama. Hafiz was involved in gunning down Sonu Sharma of Pathankot at Yadder, Mohammad Akram of UP’s Bijnor at Arihal and Wishwajeet Kumar of Bihar’s Banka at Circular Road Gangoo. He was also accused of firing on a bank guard, Abdul Hamid Wani, of Tahab and sarpanch Gh Nabi Kumar of Arihal. Besides these terror crimes, he was instrumental in recruiting Shahid Ayub, who too was neutralised in the said encounter,” he added.
The spokesperson said that Ayub was involved in killing outside labourers Patlashwar Kumar and Joko Choudary of Bihar at Lajoora in Pulwama.
Three militant associates arrested in Kupwara
Three militant associates, involved in cross LoC smuggling and transportation of arms and ammunition, have been arrested in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Thursday. Based on specific information about a terrorist associate module working for terrorist organisations operating in the Valley and involved in smuggling of arms and ammunition from across the Line of Control (LoC), police arrested three persons from different locations, a police spokesman said.
He identified them as Mohammad Amir, Nisar Ahmad -- both residents of Hajitra Karnah, and Kafeel Ahmad, a resident of Sudhpora Karnah. A Chinese pistol, along with a magazine and 14 live cartridges, have been recovered from them.
‘62 terrorists killed in gunfights this year’
Security forces have killed 62 terrorists belonging to various outfits during encounters across Jammu & Kashmir so far this year, police said on Thursday.
Among those killed, 47 were local and 15 were foreigners. While 39 terrorists belonged to LeT, 15 belong to JeM, Kashmir IGP Vijay Kumar said.
It is human and technical intelligence support that led to successful operations against these terrorists in the Valley this year, the IGP said.
“Due to enhanced Humint, Techint & focused operations, the surviving rate of terrorists is drastically decreasing. Out of 62 terrorists killed so far in the current year, 32 terrorists got neutralised within just three months of their joining terror ranks,” Kumar said in another tweet.