DE Web Desk
SRINAGAR, Feb 28: Two terrorists believed to be behind the recent killing of a Kashmiri Pandit were gunned down early Tuesday in an encounter with security forces inside a mosque in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. An Army jawan was martyred in the encounter.
Security forces cordoned off an area in Padgampora village following a tip-off that at least two armed terrorists were hiding inside the mosque, officials said. The incident, which comes after Sunday’s killing of a Kashmiri Pandit, took place around 1.15 am.
”Security forces exercised extreme restraint given the fact that the two local militants were holed up inside a mosque. We were determined to ensure there was no damage to the mosque,” a senior police officer said. During the encounter, a soldier working with 55 Rashtriya Rifles received a bullet in his thigh, puncturing a main artery. There was heavy loss of blood and the soldier could not survive, the officer said.
Recapping what had happened, he said one of the terrorists, identified as Aqib Mustaq Bhat, was killed in the mosque premises. The other, identified as Ajaz Ahmed Bhat, a resident of Trall near Pulwama, jumped out, possibly from a window, and took refuge in a house close to the mosque. His location was tracked through technical surveillance and security forces trapped him inside the house before shooting him dead, the officer said.
On Sunday, Sanjay Sharma, a bank guard, was shot dead by terrorists barely 100 metres from his home in Achan in Pulwama when he was on his way to the local market. Sharma, was rushed to hospital by passersby but it was too late.
”Killed #terrorist identified as Aqib Mustaq Bhat of #Pulwama (A category). He initially worked for HM #terror outfit, nowadays he had been working with TRF. #Killer of late Sanjay Sharma #neutralised,” Additional Director General of Police Vijay Kumar tweeted earlier in the day.
Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition including 01 AK-47 rifle, 01 AK-74 rifle, 01pistol, 03 grenades, 02 pouches, 05 AK magazines, 02 pistol magazines, 103 AK rounds, 20 pistol rounds and 02 Aadhar cards were recovered from the site of encounter.
Investigation so far revealed that both the terrorists, although joined through different terrorist organisations, had come together to conspire and attack minorities, outsiders, other vulnerable targets and security forces.
They were involved in FIR No. 14/2023 of PS Litter (recent killing of Kashmir Pandit Sh. Sanjay Pandita at Achan, Pulwama), FIR No 82/2022 of PS Pulwama (attack on 2 outside labourers at Lajoora), FIR No 115/2022 of PS Tral (weapon snatching attempt), FIR No 76/2022 of PS Tral (OGW module which supported them for grenade lobbing) among many other cases.
ADGP Kashmir paid rich tributes to the martyr soldier and appreciated joint efforts of police and security forces for conducting such a complex operation where a hostage situation was defused tactfully and also the sanctity of the mosque was maintained.
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