Four militants, including Jaish-e-Muhammad’s commander and mastermind of the recent fidayeen attack on the BSF camp near the Srinagar airport, and a soldier were killed in three separate encounters in the Kashmir Valley in the past 24 hours.
Jaish-e-Muhammad chief operational commander Khalid, alias Shah Showkat, was killed in an operation in Baramulla district. “He was also involved in a fidayeen [suicide] attack on the 46 Rashtriya Rifles camp in 2016 at Khajabagh, Baramulla. He was the mastermind of the fidayeen attack on District Police Line Pulwama and the BSF camp near the Humhama airport this year,” said the police.
The movement of the JeM commander in Ladoora, Sopore, was confirmed after a specific input was received on Monday morning. “A covert check-point was set up and security forces engaged the militant in a brief encounter,” said a police spokesman.
The injured militant managed to escape and entered a house. “The CRPF and the Army took on the hiding militant, who continued to fire at them, and neutralised him,” the spokesman said.
An ‘A plus plus’ category militant, Khalid, a foreigner, was said to be the brain behind mobilising youth for militancy and organising fidayeen attacks.
In a separate operation at 4 p.m, the security forces encircled a group of armed militants in a residential area in south Kashmir’s Shopian. Police sources said the local militants were trapped inside a house during a search operation in Gathipora village in Keller.
“At least three militants have been trapped, as the operation continues in the area. One was killed earlier in an exchange of fire,” said a police official.
Subedar Rajkumar of the Army’s 53 Rashtriya Rifles was killed “when militants fired on a search party on Sunday night in Budgam’s Drang area.” The Army, a defence spokesman said, was conducting search operations when the militants opened fire. The Army retaliated.
The body was airlifted to his native village in Himachal Pradesh.
Rifle stolen
Unknown militants stole the service rifle of a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan in Srinagar’s Alochi Bagh area, a short distance from the residence of Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, on Monday.
