Three pro-Khalistan militants killed in Pilibhit encounter

The trio, part of the Pak-sponsored terror module of Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), was hiding in Pilibhit after their involvement surfaced in a grenade attack

Three suspected ISI-backed pro-Khalistan terrorists, allegedly involved in the grenade attack in Punjab’s Gurdaspur, were gunned down in retaliatory firing during an encounter with the UP Special Task Force (STF) and Punjab Police in UP’s Sikh dominated Pilibhit district in the wee hours of Monday, said UP DGP Prashant Kumar.

Police and security personnel after three terror suspects, allegedly involved in the grenade attack in Gurdaspur, were killed in an encounter with a joint team of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab police, in Pilibhit. (PTI Photo)

The operation also resulted in the recovery of two AK rifles and two Glock pistols, signaling a significant disruption of the module’s capacity to cause further harm, he said.

The deceased were identified as Gurwinder Singh, 25, Virendra Singh alias Ravi, 23, and Jasan Preet Singh alias Pratap Singh, 18, all residents of Punjab’s Gurdaspur.

The trio, part of the Pak-sponsored terror module of Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), was hiding in Pilibhit after their involvement surfaced in a grenade attack on a police outpost in Gurdaspur on December 18, said UP Police ADG (law and order) Amitabh Yash.

The operatives opened fire on police officers after finding themselves surrounded in Pilibhit. They were injured in retaliatory firing by cops and rushed to a local hospital where they succumbed to bullet wounds.

The police were trying to collect more details about their whereabouts and identify Khalistani supporters, who provided them shelter in Pilibhit. The STF launched further investigation to identify and dismantle the remaining elements of this terror network, said the ADG.

As many as 215 criminals and terrorists had been killed in police encounters in UP since the BJP came to power in the state in March 2017. Of these, at least 54 were killed in encounters with the STF while the remaining were gunned down in encounters with different district police teams across the state.

UP DGP Prashant Kumar, in a post on X, stated, “In a resolute step towards ensuring national security, the UP Police, in collaboration with the Punjab Police, successfully neutralized a Pakistan-sponsored terror module of the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF).

“This operation exemplifies UP Police’s zero tolerance policy against crime and criminals. There will be no place for terrorism within the country,” the UP police added in their official statement.