Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Dec 26: Three militants of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) including a top commander today slipped out of security cordon in Tral area of South Kashmir district of Pulwama this morning.
An Army officer told reporters in Tral that three militants of JeM, two foreigners and one local, were trapped in Gadpora in Tral early this morning after a tip off. However, they fired on the security forces and gave slip to them. The security forces also fired at the militants leading to encounter. However, no one was injured.
The officer said that massive searches were launched in the area by 42 RR, 185 Battalion of paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and police but the militants were not traced. Army also used helicopters to trace the militants but the operation was called off in the afternoon as there was no trail of militants.
Sources said that JeM’s top commander was among those who slipped out of the cordon. They said that he had recently arrived from North Kashmir to strengthen JeM in South Kashmir.
However, locals alleged that no militant was inside the house in Gadpora where security forces fired.
Meanwhile, security forces this morning recovered dead body of a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant identified as Umar Bilal from Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Umar was killed in a gunfight in Hushroo village of Chadoora area of the Central Kashmir district last night.
Police, Army and CRPF conducted a joint operation in Hushroo where they had information about presence of two militants, one local and another foreigner inside the house. However, the local militant managed his escape during the cordon and search operation while the foreign militant who was injured in an encounter at Ichkote Budgam on Tuesday was killed in the encounter.
As the security forces started the search operations, the militant hiding in a house in the village opened fire, following which the forces retaliated.
The house of Nazir Ahmad in which the militant was hiding was damaged in the gunfight and body of the militant was recovered from under the debris. An AK-47 assault rifle and some ammunition were also recovered from the debris.
The search operation in Budgam was launched following the arrest of a local LeT militant, Latief Ahmad Rather, on Tuesday from Srinagar. Based on the information provided by the arrested militant, the security forces cordoned off Ichkoot village near Chadoora but the militants had managed to escape but Umar was injured.
However locals of Lelhar in district Pulwama said that the dead militant in Chadoora gun battle is a local from Lelhar, Pulwama. They identify him as Shoukat Ahmad Lone son of Ghulam Mohammad Lone of Lelhar, Pulwama. But SHO Kaka Pora Police Station, Manzoor Ahmad told Excelsior that brother of Shoukat was taken to identify the dead militant but he didn’t identify him as Shoukat.
Locals in Pulwama protested today and pelted stones at police at various places leading to ding dong battle with police and protesters. The locals claimed that dead militant was a local and demanded return of his body to his relatives.
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