Following the arrest of one militant and killing of another three, including a self-styled “Divisional Commander”, in an encounter near Qazigund on the Srinagar-Jammu highway, the Jammu and Kashmir police on Tuesday claimed to have completely wiped out the terror group of Lashkar-e-Taiba that had allegedly carried out an attack on an Amarnath Yatra bus, killing 7 pilgrims and leaving 19 more wounded near Botengo, Anantnag, on 10 July.
Identity of Militants Establishes Amarnath Link
Highly placed authoritative sources told The Quint that the three militants killed in an encounter near Nussu-Badragund in south Kashmir have been identified by a detained militant Shamsul Veqar as those who had targeted Amarnath pilgrims from Gujarat, resulting in seven deaths, including 6 women, in an ambush near Botengo, Khannabal, on 10 July this year.
Shamsul Veqar, who was arrested by security forces in November, has identified the slain militants as “Divisional Commander” Furqan and Muaviya, both members of the LeT’s Pakistani cadre, confirmed by a local militant as well, Yawar of Hablish village.
Sources said that one militant of the group was caught alive and he too corroborated their identities.
Early on Tuesday, J&K Police Director General Shesh Paul Vaid tweeted:
Until late on Monday night, the concerned authorities had confirmed deaths of only Furqan and Muaviya.
Ismail’s Group Wiped Out During the Encounter
One soldier of the 10 Sikh LI (Light Infantry) also lost his life due to a stray bullet at some distance from the site of encounter, said a senior police officer.
According to the highly placed authoritative sources, the entire Ismail group, that had allegedly attacked the pilgrims, has been wiped out during the encounter on highway.
Leader of the group and then LeT’s “Divisional Commander” Ismail, according to officials, was the mastermind of the Amarnath terror attack, had been killed in an encounter with the police and security forces near Nowgam, on the outskirts of Srinagar, on 14 September, along with his associate Qasim. Three other members of the group – Furqan, Muaviya and Yawar – died in the gunfight on Monday evening.
On 7 August, senior J&K police officers had claimed at a press conference that Ismail, Furqan, Muaviya and Yawar had planned and carried out the attack on the pilgrims.
DIG South Kashmir, Swayam Prakash Pani said that the gunfight followed a terrorist attack on Army near Nussu-Badragund. Rather than withdrawing from the spot, troops, who were quickly joined by the police, chased away the militants who took shelter in an under-construction house close to the highway. Bullet-proof vest of one constable of SOG (Special Operation Group) Kulgam was completely ripped from the back and he had a providential escape. However, one CRPF constable sustained gunshot injuries. He was reportedly stable at the hospital.
One local civilian, driving a motorcycle, was also hit during the cross-fire. He was rushed to Qazigund Trauma Hospital and then referred to District Hospital Anantnag, where he too was reportedly out of danger. DIG Pani said that one protester of Bonigam, who was in a motley group that tried to disrupt the operation with stone pelting, sustained pellet injuries.
Monday’s Encounter: Achievement for the Police
DIG Pani also said that Yawar of Hablish, who was a student of Darul Uloom Bilalia at Anantnag and Srinagar and had become a militant, was wanted by the police in a number of terror attacks mostly carried out by Furqan’s group on the highway from Lower Munda to Khannabal, Anantnag. He had also snatched away a rifle from a constable and had mobilised the LeT’s cadre across South Kashmir with Furqan, Ismail and Muaviya recently and earlier with Abu Dujana.
We had meticulously accurate information about this group’s movement in that area since last 10 or 15 days and we were already expecting some attack from them. It finally happed today. We can confirm the death of Furqan, Muaviya and Yawar.DIG South Kashmir, Swayam Prakash Pani
According to DIG Pani, Furqan had been appointed as Ismail’s successor and LeT’s “Divisional Commander” in South Kashmir in September. However, his movement was mostly tracked in Budgam-Srinagar-Pulwama triangle.
DIG Pani further claimed that Monday's encounter was a major achievement for the police and security forces and a setback for LeT in Kashmir.
In today’s operation, LeT is almost completely finished in Kulgam-Anantnag belt of South Kashmir. They are left with no commander.DIG South Kashmir, Swayam Prakash Pani
He said that as many as 48 fatal casualties had happened on the highway in South Kashmir in the terror attacks in the last four years.
Many of these attacks had been planned and executed by Ismail’s and Furqan’s group.DIG South Kashmir, Swayam Prakash Pani
IGP Kashmir, Munir Khan said that hours after the encounter last night, one militant associate, Rashid Ahmed Allai of Hamzapora Sangam Bijbehera, was arrested from a maternity hospital at Janglat Mandi at district headquarters of Anantnag with a loaded Chinese pistol. He was missing from his home since Saturday and was believed to have joined Furqan’s group through Yawar.
During our investigation we discovered that Rashid Allai was with the three militants. He got injured in the encounter but managed to escape and with the help of one of his associates, he took shelter in the hospital at Anantnag. Both of them were planning to snatch a rifle from a policeman.Munir Khan, IGP Kashmir
(The writer is a Srinagar-based journalist. He can be reached @ahmedalifayyaz. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)
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