Top Pak Jaish militant among 3 killed in Kulgam gunfight

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 17

A top wanted Pakistani militant commander of the Jaish-e-Mohammad was among three militants killed in a gunfight in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Friday, the police said. Three Army men were also injured during the operation.

The top slain Jaish commander was identified by the police as Abu Bakar, alias Waleed Bahi, a Pakistani national.

“Waleed was one among the most wanted 12 militant commanders in Kashmir and was an IED expert. His killing is a big success for the forces,” Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said.

‘Big success for forces’

Waleed was one among the most wanted 12 militant commanders in Kashmir and was an IED expert. His killing is a big success for the forces. —Vijay Kumar, Inspector general of police, Kashmir

The gunfight that led to the killing of three Jaish militants erupted in Nagnad Chimmer, Kulgam, when forces launched a cordon and a search operation following an input about militant presence.

“After the initial cordon was laid, we made an appeal to the residents to evacuate the building. While we were in the process of doing that we drew indiscriminate heavy volume of fire and also some grenades were lobbed... We responded to fire and two terrorists were neutralised,” Commander, 2 Sector, Brigadier Vivek Singh Thakur said in a press briefing in south Kashmir.

The Army officer said the third militant, posing as a resident and wearing a “pheran” tried to move out of the cordon and he was stopped by a soldier.

“The brave soldiers of 9 Rashtriya Rifles physically overpowered Waleed. He was shot and neutralised at a close range. It was within this melee that three of our jawans were injured,” Brig Thakur said.

A US-made M4 carbine was recovered along with other weapons.