A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant, allegedly involved in the abduction and killing of an army officer in May, was gunned down in an early morning encounter in south Kashmir’s Kulgam on Saturday.
Police have identified the militant as Ishfaq Ahmad Padder, a resident of Manchewa Yaripora area of Kulgam district. “A terrorist killed during an encounter in Tantray Pora village of Kulgam district was involved in the brutal killing of 22-year-old army officer Umar Fayaz in Shopian,” a police spokesperson said, adding that one AK 47 rifle, two AK 47 magazines, 42 AK 47 rounds were seized from the slain terrorist.
Lt Fayaz, a native of Kulgam district, had gone to attend the wedding of cousin in an adjacent village in Shopian district when he was abducted and killed by militants, triggering widespread condemnation.
Police said that Padder was also involved in bank robberies at Kader branches of J-K Bank and Ellaquai Dehati Bank and a firing incident on police station in Yaripora.
The killing of Padder comes hours after one policeman was killed and three others were injured when militants attacked one of their vehicles in Srinagar outskirts late on Friday evening.
{{/usCountry}}The killing of Padder comes hours after one policeman was killed and three others were injured when militants attacked one of their vehicles in Srinagar outskirts late on Friday evening.
{{/usCountry}}The LeT had claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to the police, a joint team of Police Kulgam and 62 Rashtriya Rifles laid an ambush to trap Padder after receiving specific intelligence inputs.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, clashes between youth and security forces erupted at many places across Kashmir after Eid prayers.
Separatist leader and Valley’s head priest, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, tweeted that it has been seven years since he was allowed by the authorities to lead Eid prayers.
He addressed a gathering at Srinagar grand mosque, Jamia Masjid, over phone.