Srinagar: A self-styled deputy chief operations commander of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen terrorist outfit was among two terrorists killed after nearly five-hour-long gunbattle with security forces in Baramulla district on Wednesday.
The gunbattle took place at Dangerpora village in Sopore, 54 kms from Srinagar, during a joint operation by police, Rashtriya Rifles and CRPF, Senior superintendent of Police, Baramulla, Viplav Kumar said.
Kumar, who supervised the operation, said police received a tip off about the presence of two dreaded terrorists in a house in the village and laid a cordon around 2230 hrs IST on Tuesday night.
Rashtriya Rifles and CRPF parties joined the police party and a gunbattle with the terrorists, hiding in the house of one Zahoor Ahmad Ganai, started around 0600 hrs IST Wednesday morning, he said.
The SSP said both the terrorists were killed in the ensuing gunbattle which ended around 1100 hrs IST.
Bodies of both the terrorists were recovered from the debris of the house and have been identified as Ali Sher, a Pakistani militant, who was acting as deputy chief operations commander of HUM outfit, and his local aide Mumtaz Ahmad Parray, a resident of Pethseer village of Sopore, he said.
Terming the killing of the two terrorists as a "major breakthrough", he said Ali Sher, who was also functioning under the code names of "Qari" and "Kalimullah", was active in the valley for the last six years.
The Baramulla Police chief said Sher was one of the most wanted terrorists in North Kashmir and was involved in a large number of terror-related incidents.
Parray was active for the last one and a half years and was also in the wanted list of police, Kumar said.
He said two AK assault rifles, four magazines and a large quantity of incriminating documents were recovered from the possession of the slain terrorists.
The two terrorists were also involved in the killing of Special Police Officer Fayaz Ahmad Bhat at Sopore on May 31.
"The weapon was provided by Ali Sher, while Mumtaz and another terrorist Bhasharat shot dead the SPO," Kumar said adding Bhasharat is still at large and efforts are on to apprehend him.
Meanwhile, another encounter broke out between terrorists and security forces at village Krumhoora in Kupwara district of North Kashmir on Wednesday.
The encounter started when a joint party of police and army launched a search operation in the village, 90 kms from Srinagar, following specific information about presence of terrorists, official sources said.
The encounter was going on.
Comments
0 comment