JeM commander among three militants killed in Tral woods

Srinagar: A wanted Jaish-e-Muhammad commander and his two associates were killed in an encounter at Nagbaeran forest area of Tral hamlet in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, police said Saturday.

A police official told the news agency KNO that a joint teams of Police, Army’s 42 RR and CRPF launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) on a specific information about the presence of militants in Khrew, Pampore area.

The official said that as the joint teams of forces approached towards the suspected house, the hiding militants opened fire, which was retaliated, after which heavy exchange of gunfire took place.

In the ensuing gunfight three militants were killed which includes Wakeel Shah a resident of Tral, who was part of recently issued top ten militants list of J&K while as identification of other two is being ascertained.

He said that Wakeel was involved in killing of Chairman MC Tral Rakesh Pandita and many others.

In a statement to KNO, a police spokesman said that on a specific input generated by Awantipora Police regarding presence of a group of JeM militants in the upper reaches of forest area of Nagaberan Dhoka area of Tral, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police and Army (42RR) in the said area.

“During the search operation, the hiding militants fired on the joint search party, which was retaliated leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, three militants of JeM were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. One of the killed militants has been identified as Wakeel Ahmad Shah son of Muzaffar Ahmad Shah resident of Bagandar Tral. However, the identification of other two killed militants is being ascertained,” he said.

As per police records, the killed Wakeel Shah was a categorized  militant and figured among the list of most wanted militants operating in the valley, the police said.

Addressing a press conference at South Kashmir based Victor Force headquarters, the Inspector General of Police Kashmir range Vijay Kumar said that Wakeel Shah of Jaish-e-Muhammad was involved in the killing of BJP leader Rakesh Pandita and an SPO. “The identity of two other slain is being ascertained,” he said, adding that Wakil was one of the most wanted militants of JeM in “police hit list”.

Speaking on the occasion, General officer Commanding of South Kashmir based  Victor Force said that yesterday (Friday), an information was received by the 42 RR after which the army along with police launched a search operation in Tarsar-Marsar area of Tral in Pulwama district. “Today morning, a contact was established and three militants were killed in a close battle,” he said. “The trio were active for a long time in South Kashmir.” He said that two Ak-47 rifles, one SLR, magazines and a UBGL were recovered from the slain militants. “Militants who are taking refuge in woods will be tracked down and killed,” he said—(KNO)