Pulwama encounter: Top LeT commander, another militant gunned down by forces

The militants, Umer Mushtaq Khandey, the LeT commander, and Shahid Khurshid, were killed in Pulwama district. Khandey was among the top 10 commanders operating in Kashmir. Khandey was involved in the killing of two constables – Mohammad Yousf and Suhail Ahmad – in Baghat in Srinagar in February, police said.

 Jammu and Kashmir police claimed to have killed two militants suspected of killing police and civilians, on Saturday. A top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, involved in the killing of two constables, was among those killed.

People inspect the damaged house during an encounter, where militants were holed up at Pampore of Pulwama on Saturday. (Waseem Andrabi/HT)

The terrorists, Umer Mushtaq Khandey and Shahid Khurshid, were killed in Pulwama district. Khandey was among the top 10 commanders operating in Kashmir. Khandey was involved in the killing of two constables – Mohammad Yousf and Suhail Ahmad – in Baghat in Srinagar in February, police said.

The operation to track down the militants was launched during the night at Drangbal Pampore as they were hiding in a three-storied concrete building.

“LeT commander amongst top 10 terrorists namely Umar Mustaq Khandey who was involved in the killing of two police personnel at Baghat Srinagar & other terror crimes trapped in Pampore encounter,” Vijay Kumar, inspector general of police, Kashmir, said in a tweet.

Khandey was in August named among the top 10 militant targets by police, along with Salim Parray, Yousuf Kantroo, Abbas Sheikh, Reyaz Shetergund, Farooq Nali, Zubair Wani and Ashraf Molvi, Saqib Manzoor and Wakeel Shah. Police are committed to hunt down these militants, Kumar said.

Based on specific inputs regarding the presence of terrorists, two operations were carried out in Pulwama last night and Srinagar on Friday evening, resulting in the killing of two militants belonging to LeT, Kumar said. Police identified the killed militants as Shahid Bashir Shiekh and Tanzeel Ahmad, both residents of Srinagar. They were involved in recent killings of a civilian and a probationary sub-inspector in Srinagar.

In the Pulwama encounter, one militant identified as Shahid Bashir Sheikh of Habba Kadal, Srinagar, was killed, Kumar said.

“As per police records, he had joined the terror folds recently and was linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT (TRF). He was involved in the killing of a civilian Mohammad Shafi Dar (PDD Employee) at Batamaloo Srinagar on October 2. He was also responsible for creating terror among the locals by threatening, intimidating and killing civilians,” Kumar said in a tweet. TRF which stands for The Resistance Front is an arm of the LeT.

In another operation at Hamdaniya Colony, Bemina, one militant identified as Tanzeel Ahmad of Habba Kadal, Srinagar, was killed. “As per police records, he had joined the terror folds recently and was linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT (TRF). He was involved in the killing of PSI Arshid Ashraf at Khanyar area of Srinagar in September,” Kumar tweeted.

Shahid and Tanzil were also collaborators in the recent killings of a chemist and two teachers in Srinagar, Kumar said. “Incriminating materials, including arms (2 AK 47 rifles) and ammunition, have been recovered from the site of encounters,” the inspector general said.

Police has shot dead 13 militants in nine encounters after a spate of civilian killings in Kashmir this month.

“We have neutralised 3 out of 5 terrorists of Srinagar City within less than 24 hours,” Kumar tweeted.