A close aide of one of the most dreaded terrorist, Zakir Moosa, was eliminated by a joint team of security forces at Ram Nagri area of Herpora in South Kashmir’s Shopian district on Friday.
This is the first encounter between the security forces and the terrorists in the holy month of Ramzan in Kashmir Valley. No collateral damage took place during the exchange of fire, police said.
Two pharmacists were targeted by the “unidentified” terrorists on the second day of Ramzan in Zainapora area of Shopian. The slain terrorist was identified as Ishfaq Ahmad Sofi alias Umar Resident of Model Town Sopore, by the local police after the recovery of his dead body from the encounter site.
Unofficial reports claimed Ishfaq was popularly known by his code name “Abdullah Bhai”.
He was also associated with the Islamic State Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK), an IS-inspired module. However, none of the State Police authorities confirmed these reports.
According to a police spokesman, “after receiving credible inputs , “a cordon & search operation was launched early Friday morning at Ram Nagri area of Herpora in district Shopian. During the search operation, the hiding terrorists fired on the search party. The fire was retaliated leading to a brief exchange of fire in which one terrorist was killed”.
According to the Police records, Ishfaq had a long history of terror crime records and was initially affiliated with proscribed terror outfit HuM. He along with his other terrorist associates were involved in series of terror crimes including grenade attacks on CRPF bunker at Safa Kadal, Soura and Police Station Khanyar.
Police spokesman said, he was also part of groups which had carried out attacks on security establishments in the area.
Ishfaq was subsequently arrested and after his release on bail, he again got recycled and joined the terror ranks last year in 2018.
Ishfaq, as per the police records, after getting recycled again got involved in planning and executing terror attacks. He was also involved in attacks on security establishments and many other civilian atrocities in the area for which several terror crime cases were registered against him.
Police has also recovered incriminating material including arms & ammunition from the killed terrorist.