Three terrorists, together with a prime Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, have been killed and 4 safety personnel injured after parallel encounters broke out in Jammu & Kashmir, officers conversant in the matter mentioned on Saturday, the most recent in a spate of gunfights which have roiled the area because the conclusion of meeting elections.
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In response to officers, a joint staff of the Central Reserve Police Drive (CRPF) and J&Okay Police launched a cordon and search operation within the Khanyar locality of Srinagar after receiving details about the presence of terrorists within the previous metropolis. The forces have been fired upon after they tried to enter a home, triggering the primary main encounter within the J&Okay summer time capital in two years, they added.
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“A cordon & search operation in Khanyar space of district Srinagar has resulted in an change of fireplace. Police & safety forces are on the job,” the J&Okay Police posted on X within the morning.
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Visuals from the encounter website confirmed smoke billowing from a home because the forces and the hiding terrorist exchanged fireplace. Within the night, safety officers mentioned that Pakistan-based LeT terrorist group’s commander, who was concerned within the killing of a J&Okay Police inspector final yr, was shot lifeless within the encounter.
“Safety forces have killed a terrorist, who has been recognized as Usman, he was a commander of LeT. He’s a international terrorist, and his position and involvement within the homicide of Inspector Masroor have come to mild. Additional investigation is being performed on this regard,” Kashmir’s inspector basic of police (IGP) VK Birdi mentioned.
J&Okay Police inspector Masroor Ahmad Wani was shot thrice by a terrorist from shut vary on a cricket discipline in Srinagar in October of final yr. He was initially present process remedy on the Paras Hospital in Srinagar, however was later airlifted and shifted to the trauma division of AIIMS, Delhi. The 34-year-old succumbed to his accidents after 40 days.
In response to officers, Usman (who glided by one identify) was lively within the Valley for a number of years, and his killing will deal a extreme blow to LeT and its offshoot, The Resistance Entrance (TRF).
“Usman was additionally the best hand of Sajad Gul, the TRF commander based mostly in Pakistan,” a senior police officer mentioned, requesting anonymity.
Officers added that two CRPF jawans and two personnel of the J&Okay Police’s Particular Operation Group (SOG) have been additionally injured within the operation. They have been shifted to the Military Hospital, the place their situation was steady. Earlier than Saturday, the final main encounter broke out in Srinagar in September 2022 when two terrorists of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind have been gunned down by safety forces
As safety forces battled extremists in Srinagar, a joint staff of the Indian Military, Central Reserve Police Drive (CRPF), and J&Okay Police launched a search operation within the Anantnag district of Kashmir, roughly 80km away, after receiving enter in regards to the presence of terrorists within the Halkan Gali space. Through the search operation, the terrorists fired upon the safety personnel, leading to a gunfight.
“Suspicious motion close to Halkan Gali was noticed and challenged by vigilant troops, because of this, terrorists opened indiscriminate fireplace on personal column. Personal troops successfully retaliated, ensuing within the elimination of two terrorists,” the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps mentioned in a submit on X. The identities of the slain terrorists have been but to be ascertained.
Saturday’s gunfights come in opposition to the backdrop of a string of terror assaults and encounters in J&Okay after its first elected authorities because the revocation of Article 370 in 2019 was sworn in on October 16. Earlier this week, safety forces gunned down three terrorists after a bunch of extremists opened indiscriminate fireplace on a military ambulance in a village close to the Line of Management (LoC) within the Akhnoor sector of Jammu district. On October 24, two troopers and two civilian porters have been killed after terrorists ambushed a military convoy within the Baramulla district of Kashmir. 4 days earlier than that, seven folks have been killed when terrorists opened fireplace on a development website camp within the Ganderbal district of the Valley. On October 18, Ashok Chauhan, a 37-year-old migrant labourer from Bihar was shot lifeless by suspected terrorists in Shopian district of South Kashmir.
The assaults have ruptured the delicate peace maintained in J&Okay in the course of the polling cycle and renewed safety considerations in a area that has been embroiled in gunfights all year long. J&Okay chief minister Omar Abdullah has known as “the current spate of assaults in Kashmir a matter of great concern” and urged safety forces to stay on alert.
On Saturday, defence minister Rajnath Singh mentioned that the surge in extremist strikes was not attributable to a safety lapse. “This isn’t a difficulty of safety lapses. Our safety forces are on alert and such a scenario will come that terror actions will probably be totally worn out and J&Okay will develop at a quick tempo,” he mentioned in Kanpur.
This yr,9 personnel and 15 civilians have died in terror assaults in Kashmir. Safety forces have killed 24 terrorists within the Valley in the identical interval. In the identical interval, 15 safety personnel and 11 civilians have died in separate assaults in Jammu. Safety forces have gunned down 10 terrorists within the area.
In the meantime, search operations continued within the Bandipora district after suspected terrorists opened fireplace at defence personnel and fled. “On 01 Nov 2024 late night, suspicious motion was noticed, in gen space Panar of Bandipora, by alert troops. On being challenged, terrorists opened indiscriminate fireplace and escaped into the jungle. Search Operation underway,” Chinar Corps posted on X.
