Jammu and Kashmir: Pakistan LeT commander, another militant killed in Srinagar encounter

A police spokesperson said that following specific information about presence of militants last night, a joint CASO was launched by Special Operations Group of J&K police and CRPF at Barzulla in uptown Srinagar on Monday morning.

However, he said when security forces were moving towards a particular area, militants hiding there, fired at them with automatic weapons.

“The security forces retaliated, ensuing in an encounter,” he said, adding the militants were given opportunity to surrender after evacuating all the civilians from the area.

He said security forces were deployed in strength in adjoining areas to maintain law and order, adding two militants were killed in the encounter.

Giving details, Director General of Police (DGP), J&K, Dilbag Singh said that Saifullah, a Pakistani national was among two militants, killed at Barzulla. “The Pakistani militant was responsible for attack on CRPF at Pampore in Srinagar last week that left two jawans dead and three others injured,” Singh told reporters during a press conference here on Monday.

“Saifullah is affiliated to Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT),” he said, adding the militant is also responsible for an attack on CRPF at Chadoora in Budgam in which an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) was killed in September.

As per police records, Saifullah infiltrated into the valley earlier this year and since two months shifted his base from north to south Kashmir.

He was also part of the group involved in killing of two police personnel at Nowgam Srinagar on August 14, 2020. Besides, the militant was also involved in firing on convoy on September 21, 2020 in Nowgam area.

He said the other killed militant was identified as Irshad Ahmed Dar alias Abu Usama, a resident of Pulwama.

“Dar was active since May 2019 and was involved in several civilian killings and attacks on security forces,” he said.

The spokesperson said that incriminating materials, including arms and ammunition, were recovered from the site of encounter, adding all the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other crimes.

He said keeping in view the prevailing pandemic due to COVID-19 and to ensure the safety of people from inherent risk of contracting the infection, the dead bodies of the killed militants shall be sent to Baramulla for burial after completion of all medico-legal formalities.

“The nearest family members of the killed local terrorist shall be allowed to participate in the last rites,” he said.