Pak ultra among 4 gunned down

PTI

Srinagar, March 12

Four terrorists, including a Pakistani commander of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), were killed and one ultra was arrested in three separate encounters with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, the police said today.

Active since 2018

• JeM commander Kamaal Bhai, alias Jatt, who hailed from Pakistan, had been active since 2018 in Pulwama-Shopian area.
• Adil Khan had attacked a BJP leader in October 2020, killed civilians in Srinagar and hurled grenades, say police.
• Rouf Ahmad Mir of Pulwama has been arrested and a pistol, two magazines, 26 rounds and 3 grenades have been seized.

The encounters took place in Pulwama, Ganderbal and Kupwara districts of the Kashmir valley, a police spokesman said.

In Pulwama, acting on specific information regarding the presence of terrorists in Chewaklan village, a cordon and search operation was launched. As the search party moved towards local Darul Uloom Islamic seminary, terrorists hiding inside fired indiscriminately upon the search party in which one civilian suffered gunshot injuries.

The injured civilian has been identified as Zahoor Ahmad Shergojri, a resident of Chewklan. He was taken to a hospital where his condition was stated to be stable.

The security forces retaliated the fire leading to an encounter, the spokesman said. "Keeping the sanctity of the institution in mind, the operation was carried out with all due precautions and deliberations. In the ensuing encounter, two terrorists were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of the encounter,” he said. The slain terrorists were Pakistani militant commander Kamaal Bhai, alias Jatt, and Aqib Mushtaq, alias Usman Hyder, of Karimabad in Pulwama.

In another operation in Wahibugh village of the district, security forces arrested an active terrorist, Rouf Ahmad Mir of Parigam in Pulwama. Incriminating material, arms and ammunition, including a pistol, two magazines, 26 rounds and three grenades, have been seized.

Two more operations were launched in Nechama Rajwar village of Handwara and in Serch area of Ganderbal. Suhail Ahmad Ganie of Kulgam and Adil Ahmad Khan of Badarkund were killed in Handwara and Ganderbal. Both were Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists, the police said.

“Kamaal Bhai had been active since 2018 in Shopian-Pulwama areas. Adil Khan was involved in an attack on a BJP district vice president in October 2020, civilian killings in Srinagar, besides facilitating grenade attack at Towheed Chowk and Chappargund, Ganderbal. He was also involved in motivating youth to join terror folds,” the spokesman said.

Vijay Kumar, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir zone, termed the killing of the wanted Pakistani terrorist a big success. Kumar said the security forces had launched operations at four-five locations on Friday night. —