Five terrorists, including Jaish-e-Mohammed commander Zahid Wani and a Pakistani terrorist, were killed overnight in two separate operations by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. The gunfights, which broke out on Saturday night, took place in Pulwama and Budgam districts of the Kashmir valley.
Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said that the terrorists neutralised in the encounters were affiliated to Pakistan-based terror outfits JeM and Lashkar-e-Taiba. They were wanted in IED explosions and recruitment of youth, an official told News18.
While four terrorists were killed in the encounter in Naira area of Pulwama, in south Kashmir, one ultra was killed in Chrar-i-Sharief area of the central Kashmir’s Budgam district, a police official said. He said the four terrorists killed in Pulwama gunfight belonged to JeM.
Kumar said during the operation, house owner’s son Inayat Ahmed, was asked to surrender but he along with militants opened fire at the security forces and got killed. “He was a hybrid militant,” the IGP said. He said that the house owner at Naira, Pulwama, in whose house the encounter took place, will be booked under UAPA.
Arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of the encounter, the official said. In the encounter at Chrar-i-Sharief, one terrorists affiliated with LeT outfit was killed, he said. Incriminating material, including an AK 56 rifle, was recovered from the encounter site, he added. Internet services have been snapped in Pulwama in view of law and order situation.
Kumar called the encounters a big success for the security forces. “05 #terrorists of #Pakistan sponsored proscribed #terror outfits LeT & JeM killed in dual #encounters in last 12 hours. JeM commander terrorist Zahid Wani & a Pakistani terrorist among the killed. Big #success for us,” the IGP Kashmir said in a tweet.
Prashant Srivastava, General Officer Commander Victor Force in Shopian’s Balapur, too reiterated the details on the ‘successful encounter’. “He (Zahid Wani) was the chief commander of the Jaish in the area and mastermind of IED attacks carried out in South Kashmir since 2017. He also recruited lot of local boys into militancy fold,” Srivastava said.
Kumar said since new year, 21 militants including nine foreigners have been killed in 11 encounters. “Foreigners who were hiding in forests are coming and settling down in civilian areas. With the help of human and technical inputs, we are zeroing in on them and killing them in clean operations,” he said, adding that in both the operations, there were no casualties to security forces.
The IG said this year they are targeting to bring down the number of militants to less than 100. Police data released at the end of last year pointed out 168 militants were active in Valley and a half of them were foreigners. More than 85 are operating in South Kashmir.
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