Top LeT comdr, associate killed
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 17 : Four security forces personnel were martyred and two militants including top commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba were killed in a militant attack followed by a massive ongoing operation against them in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district today.
Militants this morning fired at a joint check point of security forces including CRPF and Police at Tindim village of Kreeri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. Two CRPF personnel and a police man were martyred in the attack.
The martyred CRPF men belonged to 119 battalion and were identified as constable Lokesh Sharma and constable Khurshid Khan while an SPO was identified as Muzaffar Ali.
One militant was injured in the attack and security forces launched a massive operation against the militants responsible for the attack. A top LeT commander Sajad alias Haider was among two militants killed in the operation. The other militant has been identified as Anayatullah of Pattan. The operation was put on hold and more troops were rushed to the area and searches against the third militant who security forces say is a Pakistani will continue tomorrow.
Director General of Police, Dilbag Singh, told a news conference here that soon after the militants launched a strike at Kreeri, Pattan in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, troops carried out a major operation during which two militants including top most Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Sajad alias Haider were killed.
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The DGP said that one of the slain militants Sajad Ahmed Mir alias Haider alias Raja of Sopore, was one of the top most wanted commanders in J&K. “He was like Burhan Wani and had joined militancy in 2016 winters. Like Burhan, Sajad too would lure youth into militancy.
“We have arrested at least 20 youth who were recruited by Sajad besides many Over Ground Workers (OGWs),” the DGP said.
Flanked by the IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar, he said that Sajad was involved in a series of “crimes and militancy related incidents that include killing of fruit merchants, security force personnel, non-local labourers etc.”
He said of late, Sajad had started working like slain Hizb commander Reyaz Naikoo and would release video messages to lure youth and to issue fresh threats to political workers and forces. “His killing is a big success for security forces,” the DGP said. “He was the main architect in the killing of BJP young leader Waseem Bari, his father and brother in Bandipora on July 8 this year.”
He said Sajad had taken along one of his recruits Annayatullah Mir, who joined Lashkar in March this year, to carry out the attack. “Mir was injured in the first retaliation by one of our Head Constable just a few meters away from the attack spot where three security force personnel were killed,” Singh said.
The DGP said that in the morning, militants attacked joint patrolling-cum-naka party of police and CRPF in which two CRPF men and a SPO were martyred.
“Just minutes after the attack, Special Operations Group (SOG) of police engaged the militants and one was hit just at the back, a few meters away from attack site. He later managed to go inside the orchards. In the meantime, SOG men surrounded the orchards and after they were joined by the Army and CRPF, one militant who was sitting on a tree, started firing. First he was killed by the security forces,” the DGP said, adding that “it was after him that the injured militant was killed.”
The DGP said the injured militant had left behind blood soaked rucksacks while trying to flee and with the help of sniffer dog squad, “we tracked all three militants.”
He said as security forces kept searching the area, another militant fired and he too was engaged and later killed. “In total two militants were killed in the operation that is going on still since morning,” the DGP said.
An Army personnel was also martyred and another critically injured in the operation.
On the security of Sarpanchs and Panchs, the DGP said that the police has already started the process of providing the security cover to the Panchayat representatives. “Those who are vulnerable are being provided safe accommodation and security cover. We are addressing their concerns too,” he said.
Replying to a query on July 18 Shopian encounter, the DGP said that police is investigating it at its own level and DNA samples of all the three families claiming that the trio killed were their wards, have been taken for matching. “Army has ordered a Court of Inquiry. I think Army would be in better position to say more on it,” he said.
In the meantime, a CRPF officer was injured in a militant attack on a CRPF camp at Nehama in Kulgam district this evening.
An official said that militants attacked CRPF men who were outside the camp at Nehama in district Kulgam this evening. One CRPF officer was injured and his condition is stable.
The area has been cordoned and search operation is on against the militants responsible for the attack.
IGP Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, described the killing of LeT’s top commander Sajad alias Haider as a big achievement for security forces. He said that Sajad had been instrumental in recruitment of new youths in militant ranks and several attacks. “Being chief of LeT, Haider was main conspirator in recent killing of three BJP workers at Bandipora”, he added.
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