Three LeT Militants Involved in Many Attacks Killed in Srinagar Outskirts

Srinagar: The security forces in Jammu and Kashmir killed three militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit in an encounter that broke out in the Nowgam area of Srinagar city outskirts in the wee hours on Wednesday, the police said.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that the forces had received information about the presence of militants in the area, following which the police, 50 RR of the Indian army and paramilitary forces laid a cordon in the locality late Tuesday night.

The firing began at around 2 am, according to the top police officer, but the civilians near the encounter spot had been evacuated earlier to avoid collateral damage.

"We received the information about the presence of 3-4 terrorists in the area. The operation has ended with the killing of three LeT terrorists, and one AK-47 and two pistols have been recovered," Kumar said. "They were targeting Panchayat representatives, and they were regularly targeting them," Kumar added.

By 2021, the three militants were identified as Adil Nabi Teli, resident of Galchibal Chandhara, Pampore, Shakir Ahmad Tantray resident of Ronipora Shopian and Yasir Ahmad Wagay, resident of Kujer Frisal, Kulgam– all residents of South Kashmir. According to the police, they were involved in the recent killing of a Sarpanch Sameer Ahmad Bhat.

Bhat was shot outside his residence in the Khonmoh area of Srinagar on March 9 and succumbed to his injuries while being treated for bullet wounds in the hospital.

Teli was also involved in the killing of Inspector Pervaiz Ahmad Dar, who was killed outside his residence in Nowgam on July 22 and the killing of Javaid Ahmed Malik at Lurgam, Tral. Shakir and Yasir, according to a police statement, were also involved in several terror crime cases, including the killing of ASI Mohammad Ashraf in South Kashmir's Bijbehara area on December 22.

The situation in Kashmir valley witnessed a downfall in October last year with suspected militants carrying out targeted attacks on civilians, triggering a massive scare in the region. There was a relative lull, but violence spiked again since March with increased suspected militant attacks. At least three panchayat members and two local security personnel were killed. The forces, however, have increased their operations and have been successful in targeting the attackers.

This year, according to police records, as many as 39 militants have been killed in separate encounters across the valley, and 24 militants or militant associates have been apprehended so far.

On March 2, a panch in South Kashmir Mohammad Yaqoob Dar was killed at Kolpora village of South Kashmir's Kulgam district, following which the police busted the entire module. Similarly, police claimed to have busted the module involved in killing a CRPF man and a TA soldier in Budgam – both incidents from this month.

"Only once the case was pending that of Sarpanch Sameer and with today's encounter that too stands solved," IGP Kumar said. The police official added that adequate steps had been taken to ensure safe accommodations to Sarpanchs and Panchs in Kashmir.