Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Nov 24: Security forces today killed divisional commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Rafiabad area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Police said that Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police and 22 and 32 Rashtriya Rifles launched a joint operation early in the morning on a tip off about the presence of the JeM divisional commander, Yasir Tunda, in village, Chatlora, Rafiabad.
Police said that after laying cordon around the village the security forces raided the house of Ali Mohammad Bhat where the commander was hiding. He said that after evacuating the residents, the troops swooped on the militant. “He fired on the troops resulting in a brief encounter in which he was killed. Sub Inspector Dilraj of SOG Sopore was injured in the encounter”, police added.
They said that Yasir was a Pakistani militant and operated with code names of Showkat, Shoaib and Shehzeb. Yasir’s killing has a major achievement for the police and Army and a major setback for the JeM that is trying to re-group.
Yasir Tunda had infiltrated into Kashmir valley in 2002. He became divisional commander of the outfit in 2007 and was injured in an encounter in village Gund Mulrag in 2008. He had suffered injuries in his hand but had managed escape from the security cordon.
Sources said he was operating in Handwara area of Kupwara, Rafiabad and Sopore areas of Baramulla. He was frequently visiting Srinagar and Lolab forests to coordinate activities of JeM. In Lolab forests, he used to meet his chief Qari Yari.
Yasir became number two in Jaish after the killing of the divisional commander Qari Hamaad in an encounter with the police at Fore Shore Road around Dal Lake in Srinagar last year.
Police said that Yasir was involved in a number of attacks on police, security forces and the civilians. “Yasir had shot dead Peoples Democratic Party’s Sopore Zone President, Ghulam Mohammad Mir, at Ladoora in 2008. At Chatlora he had killed a ruling National Conference (NC) activist, Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din”, police added.
Police recovered a laptop, an AK-47 assault rifle, Magazine 2, AK ammunition rounds 20, one Chinese pistol, one pistol magazine, two pistol rounds and Chinese grenades 3 from the encounter site.
Police and Army had also trapped a group of JeM militants including their chief commander Qari Yasir in Lolab forests last week. Two of the JeM militants were injured in the encounter. The militants managed to flee from the security force cordon and the operation continued for over a week.
Sources said that since JeM has not been active for past few years, they are now consolidating their cadres in Kashmir valley. “This year a sizeable number of militants of the outfit have infiltrated into Kashmir valley but majority of them are in the Kupwara forests”, they added.
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