180 Militants Killed This Year: DGP
Srinagar, Oct 12 (GNS): A top Lashker-e-Toiba commander was among two militants killed in a gunfight with a joint team of police and CRPF in Rambagh area of Srinagar on Monday, police said.
“On a specific input of Srinagar Police regarding presence of (militants) in Rambagh area of Srinagar, a joint cordon-and-search operation was launched by Police and CRPF in the area,” a police spokesman said.
“During the search operation, as the presence of (militants) got ascertained they were given opportunity to surrender after evacuating all civilians. However they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated, leading to an encounter,” the spokesperson said in a statement issued here to GNS.
“In the ensuing encounter, two (militants) of LeT were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter.”
The slain militants were identified as “top LeT Commander Saifullah, a Pakistani National and Irshad Ahmed Dar alias Abu Usama of Pulwama who was active since May-2019.”
As per police records, he said, Saifullah infiltrated earlier this year and since two months shifted his base from north to south Kashmir.
“He was involved in planning and executing several major militant attacks on security forces which includes killing of a CRPF officer at Chadoora on September 24 and two CRPF personnel at Kandizal area of Pampore on October 5. He was also part of the group involved in killing of two police personnel at Nowgam Srinagar on 14 August 2020. Besides, he was also involved in firing on convoy on September 21 in Nowgam area.”
Earlier, while the CASO was underway, the Inspector General of Police Kashmir Vijay Kumar confirmed Saifullah and his south Kashmir associate’s presence in the area.
“Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other crimes.”
Meanwhile, the spokesperson said that “keeping in view the prevailing pandemic due to COVID-19 and to ensure the safety of people from inherent risk of contracting the infection, the bodies of the killed (militants) (has been) sent to Baramulla for burial after completion of all medico-legal formalities.”
Meanwhile, Director General of Police J&K Dilbagh Singh said 180 militants were killed this year in as many as 75 operations. Addressing reporters here, he said 26 persons, mainly youth, who had picked up arms returned back and re-united with their families. (GNS)
