2 SFs personnel, 2 civilians injured; 22 locals evacuated
IED-fitted sticky bombs recovered in Poonch, major tragedy averted
STATE TIMES NEWS
Srinagar: Security forces achieved a major success as a Pakistani terrorist planning an attack along the national highway in Jammu and Kashmir was killed in an encounter in Kulgam district, officials said on Friday.
They said the overnight encounter began after two terrorists, who had positioned themselves in a building, started firing “indiscriminately” on a BSF convoy on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
Kashmir Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar said the slain ultra, identified as Usman from Pakistan, was a “dreaded terrorist” active for the past six months.
“Around 3 pm (Thursday), terrorists fired upon the convoy of BSF on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway near Malpora Mir Bazar area of Kulgam. The fire was retaliated by an ROP (road opening party) of police and security forces,” a police spokesman said.
There were no injuries in the initial attack.
Police and Army reinforcements reached there immediately and cordoned off the area, the spokesperson said.
“The force party ensured not to give any chance to the terrorists to escape. The terrorists managed to took shelter in a nearby huge building. The holed-up terrorists fired indiscriminately upon the joint party of police/security forces which was retaliated, leading to an encounter,” he said.
The IGP said there was a general input for the last one week that “terrorists were planning an attack on the national highway on Baramulla-Srinagar road or Qazigund-Pantha Chowk”.
“So, the police and security forces were ready. This shows how good the response of the security forces has been that there was retaliation and the militant was not allowed to flee,” Kumar told reporters here.
He said when the BSF convoy was coming, “two terrorists fired indiscriminately from a huge building, but there was no injury to us”.
“Security forces cordoned off the area and the encounter ensued. GoC (General Officer Commanding of the Army’s south Kashmir-based) Victor Force and I monitored the operation during the night. We used rocket launcher and a militant was neutralised during the night.
“Since it is difficult to search in the dark, in the morning, the dead body of a Pakistani terrorist identified as Usman, who had been active for the last six months, was recovered,” he said.
A huge cache of arms and ammunition, which includes an AK-47 rifle, magazines, grenades, RPG-7 rocket launcher, was recovered from the encounter site, he said.
Kumar said it shows the “terrorists they were planning something big”.
“It is after a long time that RPG-7 has been recovered (in Kashmir) and the police and security forces have averted a major incident. I am proud of the police and security forces,” he said, adding, “We achieved a major success by killing Usman the dreaded Pakistani terrorist.”
The police spokesman also said a CRPF jawan and an Army personnel and two civilians got injured in the “indiscriminate firing by the terrorists”.
All the injured have been taken to a hospital for treatment, he said.
In the said operation two security force personnel received injuries, whereas two civilians were also injured far away from the site by stray projectiles. The joint team also safely evacuated 22 civilians including shopkeepers, elderly, women and children.
The preliminary investigations, recoveries and the manner of engagement by the terrorist suggest that attack was pre-planned and intended to inflict considerable damage to the security forces to disrupt scheduled functions ahead of 15th August and spread fear amongst general public. However, the joint teams of Police/SFs were successful in defeating the evil plans of terrorists and averted a major tragedy before the Independence Day.
IGP Kashmir & GoC Victor Force jointly termed it a big success, appreciated the alertness and prompt action which led to the killing of hardcore Pakistani terrorist with minimal collateral damage to joint teams and civilians.
In this connection a case under relevant sections of law has been registered and investigation has been initiated. People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials, if any.
Meanwhile, ahead of Independence Day, a major tragedy was averted when security forces seized improvised explosive device-fitted four sticky bombs from a man in Poonch district, police officials said.
On information provided by the Border Security Force, a joint checking party of police, BSF and Army was deployed at Morh Kotan in the district, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh said.
During checking, a suspicious person was apprehended and during his search, an IED attached with four sticky bombs and Rs 10,500 were seized from his possession, he said.
The man, identified as Mehmood Hussain of Kasbalari area of Poonch, was arrested, the officials said.
With this a major tragedy ahead of Independence Day was averted, they added.
An FIR has been registered at police station Mendhar and further investigation is on, the officials said.