Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, July 5: A top Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) commander was killed while his associate fled away during a gun battle in Tral area of South Kashmir this morning and a mob attacked a Special Operations Group (SOG) police party injuring 8 SOG men and set afire two vehicles after the gun battle.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, South Kashmir, Vijay Kumar told Excelsior that acting on a specific information about the presence of two militants at Aripal village in Tral, a joint team of Army’s 42 RR, 35 RR and SOG Budgam, SOG Tral and CRPF cordoned off the village at around 4:30 a. m. today.
Kumar said that militants hiding in the village opened firing on the troops injuring an Army jawan. The troops returned the fire and militants fled away as one of them was injured in the gun battle.
The DIG said that a sniffer dog traced the injured militant through a trail of blood in a nearby Pastuna forests, 2 kilometers from Aripal village. “The militant was injured and he opened fire on the troops leading to a gun battle in which he was killed. An AK-47 rifle, 60 rounds and 3 magazines were recovered from his possession”, he added.
Kumar identified the dead militant as Madni of Pakistan. “He was active in Tral area for last one and a half year and was involved in many militancy related incidents”, he added. Sources said that Madni was also deputy of Qari Yasir, former Chief of JeM who was killed last year in Lolab. He along with Adil Pathan had shifted to Tral last summer after Qari’s killing.
The DIG said that one local militant, Abid Khan of village Handura managed to escape from the cordon at Aripal. Khan’s father is head constable in Jammu and Kashmir Police and is posted at Baramulla. It may be mentioned here that last month, a militant, son of a Police officer was killed in an encounter in Kulgam area of South Kashmir.
Kumar said that a small component of SOG who was involved in the operation was attacked by around 1500 people at Aribal. “They pelted stones on the SOG party in which 8 SOG personnel were injured. They also torched two police vehicles in which one was partially damaged”, he added.
The DIG said that the SOG party was not meant for law and order and they were not carrying tear gas and batons for crowd control. “We ordered them not to open fire and they exercised restraint”, he added. He said that the reinforcement was immediately sent to the area and situation was brought under control.
Kumar said that the mob took away dead body of the militant to Handora village and people of the two villages fought over the custody of the body and later it was taken to Pastuna and he was later buried there. Hundreds of people attended the funeral of the militant this afternoon.
A Srinagar based defence spokesman said here that on specific intelligence about a militant hiding in village Aripal of Pulwama District, a joint operation was launched by troops involving Rashtriya Rifle Battalions of Army and SOG of JK Police resulting into elimination of the militant and recovery of one AK 47 rifle and other war like stores.
“At 0400 hours, information was received that a terrorist was hiding in a house in Village Aripal near Tral. Troops of the Rashtriya Rifles Battalions and SOG were immediately launched into the operation. As the troops were in the process of establishing the cordon, they were fired upon. Troops immediately engaged the terrorist with accurate fire, resulting into his elimination. Terrorist was identified as Adil Pathan, affiliated to JeM Cadre. Subsequent search of the area resulted in recovery of one AK, three magazines, one sniper magazine and 10 electronic detonators. During the operation one soldier sustained gun shot wound and was evacuated to 92 Base Hospital. Condition of the injured is stable”, the spokesman said.
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