Srinagar : A foreign militant was killed in a gunfight in Kapran area of south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Friday, police said. Elsewhere, police claimed to have arrested four militant associates in the Tral area of Awantipora in Pulwama district.
“Acting on specific information generated by police regarding the presence of (militant) in Kapren area of Shopian, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police, and Army (34RR) in the area,” a police spokesperson said in a statement to GNS.
To avoid any civilian causality or injury, he said, the joint team of forces evacuated teachers and students from nearby Madrasa to safer places.
“During the search operation, as the joint search party approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding (militant) fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter.” Later on CRPF’s 178Bn also joined in the operation, he said.
“In the ensuing encounter, one foreign (militant) identified as Kamran Bhai (alias) Hanees linked JeM (Jaish-e-Mohammad) outfit was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of encounter.”
As per police records, he said, Kamran was involved in several cases including attacks on Police and SFs. Kamran, he said, was active in the Kulgam-Shopian area and was trying to revive the militant folds of JeM by recruiting and motivating the “gullible” youth to join militant folds besides planning to execute militant attacks.
One AK-74 and four Magazines were recovered from the site of the encounter, he said.
“ADGP Kashmir congratulated the joint team of Police and security forces for conducting successful operation without any collateral damage and termed the operation as a big success as a possible threat of fidayeen and other (militant) attacks were thwarted by his elimination,” the spokesperson said
Moreover, he said, Police alongwith security forces arrested four militant associates and recovered explosive and “incriminating materials” from their possession.
They have been identified as Karamat-ul-lah Reshi son of Mehraj-ud-din Reshi, Suhail Bashir Ganai son of Bashir Ahmad Ganai, both residents of Chewa Uller Tral, Adil Ghani Lone son of Abdul Ghani Lone of Karamulla Tral and Irshad Ahmed Kumar son of Manzoor Ahmed Kumar of Tral-e-Payeen. “Incriminating materials including explosive substance has been recovered from their possession,” the spokesperson said.
During preliminary investigation, he said, it was revealed that the arrested associates were in touch with LeT commander Babar alias Samama of PaK and were in a bid to hatch conspiracy to plant IED in Tral area “with the intend to cause damage to Police/Security Forces.” Besides, he said, the arrested associates were also involved in transportation of arms and ammunition and other logistic support to the active terrorists of LeT.
Accordingly, a case FIR No.164/2022 under relevant sections of law has been registered in Police Station Tral and further investigation has been set into motion, he added. (GNS)
