Srinagar: A top commander of Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT), a Pakistani militant and a recently recruited militant of Khanyar, Srinagar were killed in Pulwaman encounter on Sunday, police said.
They said based on specific input generated by Pulwama Police regarding presence of militants in Pahoo area of Pulwama in south Kashmir, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police and Army’s 50 Rashtriya Rifles.
As the search party proceeded towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired indiscriminately upon them which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter. Later on CRPF also joined the operation.
“In the ensuing encounter, Arif Ahmad Hazar alias Rehan, who was the deputy of LeT’s top commander Basit, Abu Huzaifa alias Haqqani, a Pakistani militants and recently recruited militant Natish Wani alias Haider resident of Khanyar, Srinagar were killed”, a police statement said.
“As per police records, all the killed militants were part of groups involved in several militancy related crime cases including attacks on Police and security forces and civilian atrocities”, police said.
They said Arif Hazar was a “categorized militant”, active since March 2021 and involved in several “militancy related crimes” cases including attacks on Police and Security forces and civilian atrocities besides, several cases were registered against him in Srinagar city.
He was “involved in killing of Inspector Parvez in front of mosque at Menganwari Nowgam on 22 June 2021, killing of Police Sub Inspector Arshid Ahmad Mir near Police Station Khanyar on 12 September 2021, killing of police personnel Javaid Ahmad at Saidapora Eidgah on 17 June 2021, killing of mobile shop owner Umar Nazir Bhat at Main Chowk Habba Kadal on 23 June 2021, killing of civilian Mohammad Shafi Dar at SD Colony Batamaloo, killing of civilian Rouf Ahmad Khan outside his house at Mejinpora Safakadal on 22 December 2021”, police said.
They said he was also involved in grenade attacks on the Police Patrolling Party at Safakadal and the joint Naka party at Rainawari. Moreover, he alongwith his associates was also involved in an attack on BJP leader’s residence at Aribagh, Nowgam Srinagar. In this militant attack one police personnel Rameez Raja also got killed and his service rifle was also snatched, besides involved in an attack on two outside labourers at Suthsoo Kalan area of Nowgam on 22-04-2022, a police statement added. Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of the encounter.
IGP Kashmir termed this operation a big success and congratulated the joint forces for carrying out the anti-militancy operation in a professional manner without any collateral damage. This is the second encounter during the past 24 hours in South Kashmir. On Saturday, 2 Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) Pakistani militants were killed during a cordon and a search operation at Mirhama area of Kulgam on Saturday.( With Inputs from UNI)
