A joint team of security forces early on Friday morning dealt a body blow to top Hizbul Muhajideen (HM) commanders, active in Kashmir Valley, by neutralising Lateef Ahmad Dar, alias Tiger of Dogripora, Pulwama, one of lone surviving members of Burhan Wani group, along with two other local terrorists in a fierce firefight in South Kashmir’s Shopian district.
Timing of the clinical operation is set to boost the morale of the security forces deployed in the area to ensure peaceful polling in the final phase in Shopian and Pulwama districts on May 6.
After the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen’s poster boy, Burhan Wani, in July 2016, several other top commanders too were neutralised during sustained operations by the security forces.
Lateef Ahmad Dar, killed in Shopian, was lone surviving member of the group who was still active in the area.
According to police, Lateef ‘Tiger’ was reportedly involved in grooming young recruits for pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen terror outfit. He was active in the area since 2014 and was a close confidant of Burhan Wani.
The killing of three local terrorists also sparked off protests in the area. Local residents tried to assemble near the encounter site provoking the security forces to use tear smoke shells to disperse the unruly mob. The authorities immediately snapped mobile Internet services in south Kashmir whereas train services through the area also remained suspended.
According to police spokesman, “The operation was launched on the basis of a credible input about the presence of terrorists at Adkhara Village in Imam Sahab area of district Shopian early on Friday morning.” “During searches, the hiding terrorists fired upon the search party. The fire was retaliated leading to an encounter. Initially, with the efforts of police and security forces, the civilians trapped around the encounter site were evacuated to safer places”. During the operation, one Army jawan Yugendar Kumar also sustained gunshot injuries. He was evacuated to hospital and is undergoing medical treatment,” the police spokesman said.
“In the ensuing encounter, three terrorists were killed and the bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. The three killed terrorists have been identified as Lateef Ahmad Dar alias Tiger of Dogripora Pulwama, Tariq Ahmad Sheikh alias Mufti Waqas of Moolu Chitragam Shopian and Shariq Ahmad Nengroo of Chotigam Shopian,” the spokesperson said.
According to the police records, all the three terrorists were affiliated with the proscribed terror outfit HM and were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes including attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities.
As per police records, Lateef had a long history of terror crime records since 2014 and was involved in planning and executing several terror attacks in the area. Several terror crime cases were registered against him.
Similarly, Tariq also had a long history of terror crime records and was involved in several terror attacks. Several terror crime cases were registered against him. He was part of groups involved in planning and executing terror attacks on the security establishments in the area. He was instrumental in luring youth to join terror organisations. Moreover, he was also involved in several weapon snatching cases reported from the area. Shariq was also involved in several terror attacks.
Incriminating material including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. Police has registered a case. All these incriminating materials have been taken in case records to probe their complicity in other terror crimes.
Police also appealed to citizens not to venture inside encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials. “People are requested to cooperate with police till area is completely sanitised and cleared of all explosive materials if any,” said a detailed police advisory.