6 ultras held with arms in Bandipora, PoJK resident apprehended in Poonch
STATE TIMES NEWS
Srinagar: Three Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Baramulla district on Tuesday, taking the number of ultras killed in the valley in the past 24 hours to five, police said.
Security forces launched a cordon and search operation at Pethseer in Sopore area late on Monday night, following information about the presence of terrorists there, a police official said.
He said the search operation turned into an encounter early on Tuesday as the terrorists opened fire at the security forces positions. Three ultras were killed in the exchange of firing with security forces, the official said.
“The terrorists were identified as Faisal Fayaz, son of Fayaz Ah Thokar, resident of Kapren Shopian, Ghulam Mustafa Sheikh, son of Abdul Ahad Sheikh, resident of Tekipura Kupwara and Rameez Ahmed Ghanie, son of Abdul Majeed Ghanie, resident of Zipor Dharamati, Shopian, ” he said.
The official said the trio was affiliated with The Resistance Force (TRF), a shadow outfit of LeT.
The self-styled chief of TRF, Abbas Sheikh, and his deputy Saqib Manzoor were killed in a brief shootout in Aoochi Bagh area of the city on Monday. This takes the number of TRF ultras killed by security forces in the past 24 hours to five.
“As per police records, the killed terrorists were part of groups involved in several terror crime cases, including attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities,” a police spokesperson said
He said incriminating material, arms and ammunition, including one AK-47 rifle and two pistols, were recovered from the site of the encounter.
Inspector General of Police Kashmir zone Vijay Kumar said the total number of ultras killed this year has crossed 100.
“Today, by the collective efforts of @JmuKmrPolice, @ChinarcorpsIA, @crpfindia and people of #Kashmir have led to #neutralisation of more than 100 #terrorists in the year of 2021 so far in Kashmir division,” Kumar said in a tweet.
In a related development, security forces arrested six terrorist associates of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and recovered arms and ammunition from them in Bandipora district, police said.
Police and security forces arrested six terrorist associates of the LeT outfit in Pethkote, Bandipora, a police official said.
He said arms and ammunition were recovered from their possession.
A case has been registered and investigations were on, he said. Meanwhile, a 16-year-old resident of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) was apprehended by Army personnel on Tuesday after he intruded into the Indian side in Poonch district, a defence spokesperson said here.
He said Khyam Maqsood was held after he crossed the Line of Control into a forward area of the district.
The teenager is a resident of Harkadiya Bala village of Abbaspur, the spokesman said, adding that he is being questioned.