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2 LeT terrorists allegedly involved in killing of BJP leader killed in north Kashmir
The slain have been identified as Azad Ahmad Shah and Abid Rashid Dar alias Haqani affiliated with the proscribed outfit LeT.
Two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, allegedly responsible for the killing of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and his two family members in July last year, were killed in an encounter with security forces in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Sunday, officials said.
Police said that a cordon and search operation was started on Saturday evening after the forces received information about the presence of terrorists at Watnira area of Bandipora.
A joint operation by police, army and CRPF triggered a faceoff with the terrorists after contact with the hiding terrorists was established in the morning hours on Sunday.
“Due restraint was exercised to avoid any collateral damage. A surrender appeal was made to the terrorists, however, they brought down heavy fire on the security forces, forcing them to retaliate,” said Lt Col Emron Musavi, PRO Defence, Srinagar.
Police officials said two terrorists were killed in the encounter. “Their bodies were retrieved from the site of the encounter,” a police spokesman said.
The slain have been identified as Azad Ahmad Shah and Abid Rashid Dar alias Haqani affiliated with the proscribed outfit LeT.
“The killed terrorist Abid Rahid Dar was Pakistani trained terrorist who had crossed over the Wagah Border in April 2018 and had infiltrated back in the year 2019,” said the spokesman.
The police said that both the terrorists were involved in planning and executing terror attacks on security establishments and civilian killings.
“Moreover, terrorist Abid Rashid Dar was instrumental in recruiting the gullible youth into terror ranks of proscribed terror outfit LeT in north Kashmir,” the spokesman added.
The police spokesman said that both the slain terrorists, along with the other two foreign terrorists, Usman and Sajad alias Haider, were involved in the killing of BJP leader Waseem Bari, his brother and father.
“The involved foreign terrorists Usman and Sajad were already eliminated in an encounter at Kreeri on August 17, 2020, while the other two local terrorists involved got killed in today’s encounter,” the spokesman said.
The official said that all four militants involved in case FIR No 74/2019 of police station Bandipora pertaining to the killing of the BJP leader and his family have been eliminated.
“Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition, including 02 AK-47 rifles 01 pistol and other incriminating material, were recovered from the site of encounter,” the spokesman said.
“All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror crimes,” he said.
A case under relevant sections of law has been registered and an investigation has been initiated.
“People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials, if any,” the police spokesman said.
