A Pakistani militant was captured alive and four others belonging to lashkar-e-Tayyeba (leT) were shot dead in a prolonged encounter in the forests of Rafiabad in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Thursday.
This is the second incident in three weeks when a Pakistani militant has been captured in Jammu & Kashmir. Earlier, on August 5, locals captured a Pakistani militant Naved Yakub in Udhampur shortly after he ambushed a Border Security Force convoy killing two security personnel. Another militant Noman was killed in the gunfight.
Defence sources said the captured militant Sajjad Ahmad is 22-year-old and belongs to Muzaffargarh area in Balochistan province of Pakistan. His group recently infiltrated into Kashmir Valley but before dispersing in the hinterland it was intercepted in Uri-Rafiabad area and engaged in a four-day long gun-battle with the security forces. On Wednesday, one militant of the group was killed before the operation was halted at nightfall.
Defence spokesman lt-Col NN Joshi said the robust counter-infiltration grid manifested in the success of the joint-operation by police and the Army.
He said: “Based on Intelligence inputs about presence of terrorists in forests of Rafiabad, a search operation was launched by the Army on August 24 which forced the terrorists to move towards the higher reaches of the ridge.”
An effective cordon was established by the Army, including Special Forces which were inducted by helicopters to prevent the escape of terrorists,” Joshi said.
He said the first contact with militants was established on August 26 morning, which resulted into death of a militant. The operation was slow due to treacherous terrain and dense foliage.
The surviving militants had taken shelter in a natural cave, which was zeroed in on by the security forces.
“During the operation, three more militants were shot dead and the fourth terrorist was captured alive along with huge cache of war-like stores including four AK-47 Rifles and two UBGls”, the spokesman said.
The Army said that preliminary investigation has confirmed captured militant Ahmad’s Pakistani nationality. “The captured terrorist is now being taken for joint interrogation”, the spokesman said.
Earlier, on August 5, two Pakistani militants attacked a BSF convoy at Samroli in Udahmpur district on Srinagar-Jammu National highway killing two soldiers. While in the retaliatory fire one attacker Noman was shot dead, his colleague Naved alias Usman Khan fled from the scene. He was later captured by locals belonging to Village Defence Committee.
Naved, who is in the custody of National Investigating Agency (NIA) on Tuesday confessed to his crime in a special court in Jammu. On his instance, a truck driver Khurshid Ahmad Bhat has been arrested who has allegedly ferried the two militants to Udhampur. At least a dozen youngsters have been picked up for questioning in various south Kashmir villages in connection with the highway attack conspiracy.