LeT Commander Among Three Terrorists Killed in Encounter in J&K's Pulwama

Three militants, including a deputy commander of banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), were killed in an encounter between militants and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Sunday, police said.

The Kashmir Zone Police had earlier in a tweet said two militants were killed and an operation is underway in the Pulwama area. In a later tweet, it said one more terrorist affiliated with the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was killed.

Police officials said a cordon and search operation was launched in the Pahoo area in South Kashmir after inputs on the presence of militants were received. The search operation turned into an encounter after the militants fired upon the forces, who retaliated, an official told PTI.

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said SSP Pulwama received information that three LeT terrorists are hiding in the Pahoo village of Pulwama. Acting on the information, police and security forces cordoned the area and all three terrorists have been killed, he said. Deputy commander of the Pakistan-based terror group, identified as Arif Hazar was among those killed, he added.

In a tweet, he said, “Arif Hazar @ Rehan, deputy of LeT’s top cmdr (Basit) killed in PulwamaEncounter. Involved in killings of Insp Parvez in front of mosque, SI Arshid & 1 mobile shop owner in downtown. Several FIRs against him in Sgr city. Identification of other 2 terrorists yet to (be) done.”

Hazar was responsible for shooting at and injuring west Bengal labourers on Friday evening, officials said. Arif Hazar was a categorized terrorist, active since March 2021 and involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on Police/SFs and civilians, officials told ANI.

Several cases were registered against him in Srinagar city. The police listed the killings of Inspector Parvez in front of a mosque at Menganwari Nowgam on June 22, 2021; PSI Arshid Ahmad Mir near Police Station Khanyar on September 12, 2021; police personnel Javaid Ahmad at Saidapora Eidgah on June 17, 2021; mobile shop owner Umar Nazir Bhat at Main Chowk Habba Kadal on June 23, 2021; Mohammad Shafi Dar at SD Colony Batamaloo and Rouf Ahmad Khan outside his house at Mejinpora Safakadal on December 22, 2021. Hazar, along with his associates, was also involved in an attack on BJP leader’s residence at Aribagh, Nowgam, in Srinagar.

As per police records, all the killed terrorists were part of groups involved in several terror cases, including attacks on police/security forces and civilian atrocities.

Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of the encounter and all the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation, the spokesman said.

Later, the Srinagar police said that a teenager (Haider) from Khanyar, Srinagar, who joined terror ranks a week ago, killed in an encounter in Pulwama, along with two other terrorists. Active terrorists exploit gullible youths for their own ulterior motives. Such madness by youths leads to destruction of families and nothing else, police said in a tweet.

(With inputs from agencies)

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