Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday arrested a terrorist and his associate for allegedly killing an off-duty solider of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the valley, officials familiar with the matter said.
On Saturday, 34-year-old jawan Mukhtar Ahmad Dohi was shot dead by terrorists near his residence in the Chotipora area of Shopian district . The attack was carried out on the direction of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Abid Ramzan Sheikh, according to Vijay Kumar, Kashmir’s inspector general of police.
“We have arrested the killer of CRPF personnel. Weapon of offence (pistol) recovered on his disclosure. An OGW (overground worker) who accompanied him during the terror crime (was) also arrested. The terror crime was committed on the direction of LeT commander Abid Ramzan Sheik,” he said in tweet.
Police identified one of the accused as Rukhsar Sadiq Thoker, a resident of Rangmarg-Sedow. A police spokesperson said that Thoker disclosed the identity of his associate. “He has been identified as Amir Ahmad Dewan, a resident of Bohrihallan, Shopian who too was arrested...” the spokesperson said.
Dohi’s killing came days after officials recovered the body of a 28-year-old missing army jawan, Sameer Ahmad Malla. Police were investigating the case and looking into the possible role of terrorists in Malla’s death.
{{/usCountry}}Dohi’s killing came days after officials recovered the body of a 28-year-old missing army jawan, Sameer Ahmad Malla. Police were investigating the case and looking into the possible role of terrorists in Malla’s death.
{{/usCountry}}There has been a spurt in targeted killings in Kashmir in the past two weeks. Shabir Ahmad Mir, a village council chief from south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, was gunned down by terrorists on Friday. On March 9, an independent sarpanch, Sameer Bhat, was shot dead on the outskirts of Srinagar. A week earlier, terrorists killed an independent panchayat member, Mohammad Yaqub Dar, in the Srandoo area of Kulgam.
The security forces have also stepped up counter-terror operations. On Saturday, four terrorists, including a Pakistani commander of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), were killed and another arrested after three separate encounters in Kashmir.