Two terrorists have been neutralised in an encounter that broke out between terrorists and security forces in the Dragad area of Shopian district in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday morning, police said, even as Jammu and Kashmir police on Wednesday arrested one Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) terrorist.
“Two unidentified terrorists killed. Search going on. Further details shall follow,” Jammu and Kashmir Police tweeted. The search operation in the area is underway. One of the two terrorists neutralised in the Dragad area encounter in Shopian district on Wednesday morning, was associated with proscribed terror outfit The Resistance Front (TRF), said Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Later, Kashmir Inspector General of Police (IGP) Vijay Kumar said that the neutralised terrorist has been identified as Adil Ah Wani, the District Commander of proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyaba’s The Resistance Front (LeT-TRF). “One of the killed terrorists has been identified as Adil Ah Wani, active since July 2020. He was involved in the killing of one poor carpenter namely Sakir Ah Wani at Litter, Pulwama. Wani was the District Commander Shopian of proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyaba ‘s The Resistance Front (LeT-TRF),” he said. So far, the IGP said that as many as 15 terrorists have been neutralised in two weeks.
A report from Kishtwar said that Jammu and Kashmir police on Wednesday arrested one Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) terrorist and seized one hand grenade from his possession at Drabshalla Thathri in Kishtwar district. As per the police, “The arrested terrorist has been identified as Sohail Ahmed Bhat. He belongs to LeT. The grenade was provided to him by LeT terrorist Khobaib, based in Pakistan. He has been arrested at around 5.30 pm. One hand grenade has been recovered from him.” Further investigation is on, said the police.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at 11 places in Jammu and Kashmir in a recent terrorism conspiracy case, the agency said on Wednesday. The case pertains to the hatching of conspiracy for undertaking violent terrorist attacks by members of proscribed terrorist organizations such as Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al Badr and their frontal affiliates such as The Resistance Front (TRF), Peoples’ Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF). Searches are underway in Srinagar, Baramulla, Pulwama, Awantipora, Sopore and Kulgam.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday strongly condemned the recent killing of civilians in Jammu and Kashmir and said that security forces should catch hold of 1-2 people to know modus operandi behind terrorism and increase in killings in UT so that security forces can find a solution. Speaking to the media in Srinagar, Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “During the past 30 years, terrorists have adopted different tactics of killing people. Unless police and agencies catch hold of 1-2 people to know modus operandi so that security forces can find a solution. It should be done soon.” On the controversial statement by some Congress leaders that attacks in Kashmir increase around polls, party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad made it clear that there have been phases, but it does not mean that a particular leader or the system was in favour of killings or terrorism.
He said, “We have faced such incidents and found solutions but now the trend of militancy has changed and they have adopted new techniques. For over three decades there have been ups and downs in terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Do not want to politicise but there have been phases in Kashmir. Does not mean that particular leader, the system was in favour of terrorism/killings.”
