Jaish terrorist killed, ‘Fidayeen’ attack averted: Security forces

A foreign Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist on Friday was killed in an encounter with security forces and a possible “fidayeen” attack by him was thwarted in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, police said.

The terrorist was identified as Kamran Bhai alias Hanees, who was linked to Pakistan-based JeM.

Kashmir additional director general of police (ADGP) Vijay Kumar said Hanees was active in south Kashmir for the past eight months.

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A police spokesperson said the terrorist was killed after a joint cordon and search operation was launched by police and army’s Rashtriya rifles following inputs about the possible presence of terrorists in Kapren area of Shopian.

To avoid any civilian casualty or injury, the joint team of forces evacuated teachers and students from a nearby religious school to safer places, the spokesperson said.

“During the search operation, as the joint search party approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding terrorist fired indiscriminately at the joint search party which retaliated, leading to an encounter,” the spokesperson said.

The Central Reserve Police Force’s 178 battalion joined the operation later.

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“In the ensuing encounter, Hanees, linked with proscribed terror outfit JeM, was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of encounter,” the spokesperson said.

Kumar said the operation was a big success. “A possible threat of fidayeen and other terrorist attacks were thwarted by his elimination,” he said.

Police said Hanees was a “categorized terrorist and was involved in several terror crime cases, including attacks on police, security forces and civilians”.

“The terrorist was active in Kulgam-Shopian area and was trying to revive the terror folds of JeM terror outfit by recruiting and motivating the gullible youth to join terror folds besides, planning to execute terror attacks,” the spokesperson said.

Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition, including an AK-74 and four magazines, were recovered from the site of the encounter, police said.

Meanwhile, four associates of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba were arrested by security forces in Pulwama on Friday.

Several explosives and incriminating materials were found from their possession, the spokesperson said.

The four were identified as Karamat-ul-lah Reshi and Suhail Bashir Ganai, both residents of Chewa Uller Tral, Adil Ghani Lone, a resident of Baramulla Tral and Irshad Ahmed Kumar, a resident of Tral-e-Payeen.

“Preliminary probe revealed the arrested terrorist associates were in touch with a LeT terrorist commander, who goes by the aliases Babar and Samama and is a resident of PoK,” the spokesperon said.

The terrorists were reportedly planning to hatch a conspiracy to plant improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Tral area to attack security forces.

“Besides, the arrested terrorist associates were also involved in transportation of arms and ammunition and other logistic support to the active terrorists of LeT,” the spokeperson said.

An FIR under relevant sections of law has been registered at Tral police station and a probe is underway, the spokesperson said.