Srinagar: Director General of Police J&K Dilbagh Singh termed the killing of Sajad alias Haider as a ‘big success’ for the state forces saying that the most wanted Lashkar commander was luring youth to militancy by releasing video messages.
“He was like Burhan Wani and had joined militancy in the winters of 2016. Like Burhan, Sajad too would lure youth into militancy. We have arrested at least 20 youth who were recruited by Sajad besides many over ground workers (OGWs),” DGP said in a news conference at the Police Control Room here this afternoon.
Singh, who was flanked by IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar, said that Haider was involved in a series of “crimes and militancy related incidents that include killing of fruit merchants, security forces personnel, non-local labourers etc.”
“He was brain behind the killing of Waseem Bari (of BJP) and his family member in Bandipora. He was also involved in an attack on CRPF party at Sopore resulting in killing of one personnel and injuries to four others,” he said.
DGP further said that Haider had started working on the lines of slain Hizb commander Reyaz Naikoo and would release video messages to lure youth and to issue threats to political workers and forces.
“His killing is a big success for security forces,” Singh said.
He said Sajad had taken along one of his recruits Annayatullah Mir, who joined Lashkar in March this year, to carry out today’s attack in Kreeri.
“Mir was injured in the first retaliation by one of our Head Constable just a few meters away from the attack spot where three security forces personnel were killed,” the DGP said.
He said the third militant Usman, a Pakistani, was also operating with Sajad in the northern belt of Kashmir.
When asked about the sequence of the attack and retaliatory action, DGP said that militants attacked a joint patrolling cum naka party of CRPF and police in which two CRPF men and an SPO were killed.
“Just minutes after the attack, special operations group (SOG) of police engaged the militants and one was hit just at the bund, a few meters away from the attack site,” Singh said.
“He later managed to go inside the orchards. In the meantime, SOG men surrounded the orchards and after they were joined by the army and CRPF, one militant who was sitting on a tree, started firing. First he was killed by the security forces,” he added.
The DGP further said that later another militant who was injured militant was also killed.
He said as forces kept searching the area, another militant fired and he too was engaged and later killed.
“In total three militants were killed in the operation that is going on still since morning,” Singh, according to news agency KNO said.
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