Ahead of the two-day long visit of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, starting from March 18, a joint team of security forces gunned down three Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) terrorists involved in the recent killing of Sarpanch Sameer Ahmad Bhat in Srinagar on Wednesday.
During his stay in Jammu the Union Home Minister Shah is expected to chair a high level security review meeting in the wake of fresh targeted killing of public representatives in the Kashmir valley. Shah is also scheduled to attend the Raising day function of CRPF in Jammu along with top brass of the para military forces on March 19.
According to a police spokesman, several police teams were on the look out for the terrorists behind the targeted killing of a public representative in Khonmoh. The operation was launched by the joint teams after receiving a specific input about the presence of terrorists in the Nowgam area of Srinagar past midnight.
While the security forces were laying cordon around the suspected cluster of houses in the Nowgam area the terrorists opened fire on the secuirty forces around 2.05 a.m. The terrorists were hiding in a three storey house A solider of the Indian army was also injured in the continuous exchange of firing and grenade lobbing by the terrorists.
According to official sources, the first terrorist was neutrlaised around 8.30 a.m and the remaining two were neutralised around 9.15 a.m on Wednesday. According to a police spokesman, the slain terrorists have been identified as Adil Nabi Teli resident of Galchibal Chandhara, Pampore, Shakir Ahmad Tantray resident of Ronipora Shopian and Yasir Ahmad Wagay resident of Kujer Frisal, Kulgam.
As per police records, the killed terrorists were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeT (TRF) and active since year 2021. They were part of groups involved in several terror crime cases including attack on Police/SF and civilian atrocities. Police said these three terrorists were also planning to attack security forces on the National Highway.
According to police records Adil Teli along with his associates was also involved in killing of Inspector Pervaiz Ahmad Dar at Menganwari Nowgam on 22/06/2021, killing of Javaid Ahmed Malik at Lurgam Tral. Besides, he was also involved in a grenade attack on a joint party of Police & CRPF at Barbarshah Srinagar in which one civilian was killed and three civilians were injured. Similarly, terrorists Shakir Ahmad & Yasir Ahmad were also involved in several terror crime cases including killing of ASI Mohammad Ashraf near PS Bijbehara, Anantnag on 22/12/2021. Security forces have recovered 01 AK rifle, 03 AK Magazines, 14 AK rounds, 02 Pistols, 04 Pistol Magazines, 06 Pistol rounds from the site of encounter.