The encounter in J&K on Saturday in which two top Jaish terrorists were gunned down brought a somewhat closure to 2019's Pulwama attack as both of them were involved in the 2019's attack on security forces. While one was identified as Abu Saifullah aka Adnan, Ismail and Lamboo, the other was later identified as Sameer Dar, the cousin of Pulwama attacker Adil Ahmad Dar. Both Sameer and Saifullah were chargesheeted by the National Investigation Agency. IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said there were 19 terrorists accused in the Pulwama terror attack. Out of them, eight have been killed in encounters, seven have been arrested and four are still absconding.
According to sources, Sameer Ahmad Dar was Jaish's local recruit and was active since 2018. In 2018, Sameer left his home in Pulwama for Kashmir University following which his family also filed a missing report. His photo with "illegal weapons" also went viral on social media. He was operating in South Kashmir along with Saifullah.
Apart from his involvement in the Pulwama attack in which 40 security personnel were killed, Sameer was part of "anti-national demonstrations" in the funeral of terrorists, and thereby "jeopardising national security and provoking youth for law and order in that area".
The Jaish terrorist was active in recent months. In June, Sameer Dar and his associates attacked SPO Fayaz Ahmad at the Hariparigam area of Awantipora, killing Ahmad, his wife and daughter. On July 24, Sameer and his associates killed one Javaid Ahmed Malik, son of Ghulam Mohammad Malik at Lurgam Tral, sources said.
Saifullah ail Alvi, the IED expert, was from the family of JeM chief Masood Azhar and had trained the suicide bomber, Adil Dar, who carried out the Pulwama attack.
{{/usCountry}}Saifullah ail Alvi, the IED expert, was from the family of JeM chief Masood Azhar and had trained the suicide bomber, Adil Dar, who carried out the Pulwama attack.
{{/usCountry}}Saturday's encounter took place in the forest area of Namibian and Marsar and the general area of Dachigam in Pulwama. Security forces had inputs about the presence of terrorists there.
"Firstly, it brings closure to the Pulwama incident because he was one of the masterminds for having trained a local youth Adil (Dar) who eventually blew himself up in the IED attack. Ever since, he has been responsible to continue to train people in making IED and deployment of IEDs against the security forces," an Army officer said.