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Forces gun down LeT terrorist in Shopian
According to police, the slain terrorist was involved in the abduction and killing of army officer Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz in 2017
Security forces neutralised a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist who was involved in a string of attacks on troops and Kashmiri pandits in an encounter in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Friday, police said.
According to police, the slain terrorist was involved in the abduction and killing of army officer Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz in 2017. The forces recovered arms and ammunition, including an AK series rifle and three magazines from the site of the encounter.
Officials said that police, army and Central Reserved Police Force (CRPF) , in a joint operation, neutralised Bilal Ahmed Bhat, a resident of Chek Cholan, affiliated with proscribed outfit LeT.
The encounter started in the wee hours of Friday when a joint cordon and search operation was launched by police, army (34 Rashtriya Rifles) and CRPF (178 battalion) in Chotigam village after getting specific information regarding the presence of the terrorist.
“During the search operation, as the joint party approached the suspected spot, the hiding terrorist fired indiscriminately upon them, which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter,” a police spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that Bhat was killed In the ensuing encounter and his body was retrieved from the site.
“As per police records the killed terrorist was involved in several terror acts, including killing of Fayaz , a resident of Sudsan in Kulgam,” the official said.
Fayaz was abducted from a relative’s house during a wedding ceremony in south Kashmir and shot dead the same night in May 2017.
Police said that Bhat had also hurled a grenade upon non-local labourers in Hermain, resulting in death of two labourers in October 2022.
Police said that Bhat had a string of attacks on Pandits to his name. “He was also involved in killing Kashmiri pandit Sunil Kumar Bhat and injuring another, Pretimber Nath, both residents of Chotigam in Shopian. He was involved in an attack on local Bal Krishan alias Sonu, also a resident of Chotigam,” the spokesperson added.
Officials said the slain operative was involved in instigating local youth to join terrorist ranks and induced 12 local youths. “He was also involved in the killing of an arrested terrorist who was leading the search party during a cordon and search operation at Nowgam in 2022,” police said.
“All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation has been launched,” police said. A case has been registered.
