Srinagar- Three militants, including a Pakistani national on Tuesday were killed in two separate encounters with government forces in the twin districts of Kupwara and Shopian in the Valley, police said.
Police and army’s 47 RR launched a cordon and search operation in the Kandi area of Kupwara on the basis of specific input about the movement of militants in the area, a police spokesperson said.
During the search operation, he said, the joint party came under heavy fire from the militants, which retaliated effectively leading to an encounter.
In the ensuing encounter, the spokesperson said that two militants, including a foreigner were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter.
Police identified them as LeT militants Ishtiaq Ahmad Lone of Tral and Tufail of Lahore, Pakistan.
The spokesperson said that it is believed that the group was meant to receive the militants who had escaped from Monday’s operation in Zaloora area of Sopore in which one Pakistani militant was killed and three others managed to escape.
“Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition including 02 AK-series rifles have been recovered from the site of the encounter. Further, search operation in the area is still going on to nab the other hiding terrorists,” he added.
Meanwhile, a student turned militant was killed in a separate encounter with government forces in South Kashmir’s Shopian district, over two years after he went missing.
Raja Nadeem, who was pursuing Bachelor’s degree in veterinary science (BVSc) at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences (SKUAST), when he went missing on March 27, 2020, was killed in an encounter with joint team of police and army in Aloora Badimarg area of the district, police said.
A resident of Ashmuji Kulgam, 22-year-old Nadeem was a ‘B’ category militant.
According to the police spokesperson, Nadeem was part of the groups involved in several cases including attacks on Police/SF and “civilian atrocities”.
The killed militant, he said, was also involved in Kulpora Panch’s killing on March 2, this, besides being instrumental in reviving the “terror folds” of HM in Kulgam by recruiting the gullible youth.
Active since 2020, Nadeem, as per the spokesperson was earlier affiliated with LeT and had recently switched to Hizb.
“Incriminating materials, arms & ammunitation including 01 AK rifle and 01 SLR have been recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation,” he said.
Police, he said, have registered a case in this regard and further investigation is in progress.
Over A Dozen Arrested Over Militancy Links
Meanwhile over a dozen people have been detained by police during raids across Jammu and Kashmir for allegedly being in touch with militant commanders in Pakistan, officials said on Tuesday.
The police said many recent target killings and other militancy-related incidents have taken place at the behest of these commanders using local hybrid militants.
J&K Police has rounded up a number of individuals and initiated legal action against them as they have been found to be in contact with militant commanders based in Pakistan, the officials said.
They said some of the militant commanders these individuals were in contact with, and who are based in Pakistan, include Sajad Gul, Ashiq Nengroo, Arjumand Gulzar and others. They all have been notified and designated as ‘terrorists’ by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
These militant handlers who are based in Pakistan are involved in serious militancy-related incidents and as well motivating and inciting the young gullible boys to join militant ranks, the officials said.
J&K Police — both in Kashmir and Jammu division — have raided the residences and work places of such people and investigations with regard to the level of their involvement are underway, they said.
Raids have been carried out at several places across the union territory including in Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag, Kulgam — in the valley, and in Jammu, Ramban, Udhampur, Kathua – in Jammu region, they added.
Many target killings and other militancy-related incidents have been instigated from across using local hybrid militants. As of today, dozens of suspects have been picked up across J-K, the officials said.
They said Director General of Police (DGP), J-K, Dilbag Singh has passed unambiguous and very strong directions to all formations that anyone found in touch with any such entity in Pakistan or in any other country should be taken to task.
The policy of zero tolerance of such anti-national activity has to be more strictly imposed, the J-K police chief has directed. (With inputs from PTI)
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