4 militants killed in 3 anti-militancy operations in Kashmir

Sticky IEDs dropped by drones from across the border seized and defused

Security personnels during a random search operation at a market area in Srinagar on Thursday, June 2, 2022. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu

Four militants were killed in three back-to-back anti-militancy operations of the security forces in the Kashmir valley in the past 24 hours.

Three sticky improvised explosive devices (IEDs) dropped by drones from across the border were seized and defused near the International Border (IB) in Jammu’s Akhnoor Sector.

According to the J&K police, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant was killed and three others escaped during an encounter with the security forces in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district late on Monday evening. The police identified the slain militant as Hanzalla, a resident of Lahore in Pakistan. “Arms and ammunition, including one AK-Rifle and five magazines, were recovered from the encounter site,” police said.

In a separate anti-militancy operation in north Kashmir’s Kupwara, two LeT militants were killed in a gunfight in Chaktaras-Kadi area. “One of the two slain terrorists has been identified as Tufail, a Pakistani, of the LeT,” Inspector General of Police (IGP) Vijay Kumar said.

In south Kashmir’s Shopian, a militant was killed in an ongoing operation in Badimarg-Aloora area, police said. Officials identified the militant as Nadeem Ahmad Rather alias Kamran from Ashmuji in Kulgam. Sources said Rather, who was a Bachelor of Veterinary Science (B.V.Sc) student at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKAUST), joined militancy on March 27, 2020.

“Rather was affiliated to the Hizbul Mujahideen. He was involved in the killing of the Kulpora ‘panch’ and recruitment of youth into militancy,” IGP Kumar said.

Magnetic IEDs defused

In a worrying trend, three IEDs were recovered near the International Border (IB) in Jammu Akhnoor Sector.

A Border Security Force (BSF) spokesman said alert troops fired two rounds on hearing a humming sound from an object about 800 metres in the air, in the Akhnoor area at about 10:45 p.m. on Monday. Around 11 p.m., drone activity was observed in the Dayaran area of Kanachak again.

Later, a payload attached to the drone was brought down, but “not the drone”. “The payload contained three magnetic IEDs packed inside children’s tiffin boxes with timers set to different timings of three hours, eight hours, etc.,” the BSF said. The IEDs were deactivated and defused through controlled explosions.

4 behind IED blast held

Meanwhile, two ‘hybrid’ militants and their two associates have been arrested in south Kashmir’s Shopian in connection with an IED blast that killed one soldier and injured three others on June 2 in Shopian’s Sedow area.

“Two hybrid militants, Showkat Ahmad Sheikh (26) and Parvaiz Ahmad Lone (26), both drivers by profession, were arrested. Both are from Shopian’s Sedow. The material used for the execution of the blast has been recovered. We were able to crack the case within a week,” Tanushree, Superintendent of Police, Shopian, said.  

She said an active LeT militant, Aabid Ramzan Sheikh, was behind the attack and “provided training to the accused”.

IGP Kumar congratulated the Shopian police for the breakthrough.