3 LeT ultras killed; non-local trader, labourer shot dead in south Kashmir

Mastermind behind post August 5 unrest, protests arrested

SRINAGAR: Three ultras of Lashker-e-Taiba terror outfit were gunned down in an encounter with security forces, while militants killed a migrant labourer from Chhattisgarh and an apple trader from Punjab while injured another trader in separate incidents in militancy hotbed south Kashmir.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police managed to arrest the kingpin who spearheaded violent protests in Valley after the August 5 decisions.
Three local militants, who were all in their early 20s and had joined LeT recently, were killed on Wednesday in an encounter with the police in Anantnag district.
The encounter broke out at Pazalpora area of Bijbehara town on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday on a specific intelligence provided by the district police.
“A police team, along with other security forces, launched a cordon-and-search operation in the area. It had a pinpointed information where the three militants were holed up,” the officials said.
“It approached a house whose owner resisted saying that no one was present at the premises, but not agreeing to the landlord, the team carried on with their operation,” they said.
The holed up militants first fired at around 02.30 AM after which the police retaliated effectively.
In the encounter that ensued, three militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter.
“The entire house came down due to the gunfight,” they said, adding that the bodies have been handed over to the families for their burial.
The oldest among the three was Nasir Gulzar Chadroo alias Abu Hannan, a resident of Bijbehara, who had joined the banned LeT outfit in September last year.
The other two were identified as Zahid Ahmad Lone of Takiya Masood Shah Bijbehara and Aaqib Ahmad Hajam resident of Redwani Payeen Kulgam.
While Lone had joined the terror outfit in July, Hajam had joined militancy in April.
“All the slain militants were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities,” a police spokesman said.
“As per the records available with police, Gulzar was involved in case FIR No. 84/2018 of PS Achabal Anantnag pertaining to attack at police guard Khulchora Ranipora Achabal on 07 September 2018. Hajam was involved in case FIR NO. 23/2017, 16/2019, 28/2019 and 31/2019, while Lone was part of groups responsible for attacks in the area,” he said, adding that incriminating material including arms & ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter.
In two separate incidents, two civilians were killed and one injured by militants in south Kashmir.
A migrant labourer from Chhattisgarh was shot dead by militants in Pulwama district
“Sethi Kumar Sagar, a resident of Besoli area of Chhattisgarh, was a brick kiln worker. He was walking with another civilian when two militants shot at him at Nihama area near Kakpora railway station,” Director General of Police Dilbag Singh said.
"We have fanned out teams in various parts to nab the killers," he said.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel condemned the killing and announced a financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the family of Sagar.
As the evening came, a Punjab-based apple trader was killed and another injured in yet another militant attack in Shopian district.
“Charanjeet Singh and Sanjeev, hailing from Ferozepur district of Punjab, were shot at Trenz by 3-4 militants around 7.30 pm,” the police said.
They were taken to the district hospital in Pulwama in a critical condition.
“Charanjeet succumbed to his injuries while Sanjeev's condition is stated to be critical,” they said.
This is third such incident of targeting non-Kashmiri workers in as many days in the Valley.
On Monday, two terrorists, including a suspected Pakistani national, shot dead Sharief Khan, a truck driver from Rajasthan at Shirmal village of Shopian district in south Kashmir.
On Wednesday, when his body reached Rajasthan, his family refused to accept it unless their demands for compensation of Rs 50 lakh and the status of martyr for him were met. The body was then shifted to a mortuary at a hospital in Pahadi town of Rajasthan.
This is probably for the first time in the history of Kashmir militancy that three non-locals have been killed by militants in a span of less than 48 hours.
Meanwhile, the police arrested Hyat Ahmad Bhat, alleged to be the brain behind the unrest in Soura on the outskirts of the city immediately after the Centre withdrew the state's special status in August, in a pre-dawn operation.
Terming it an important development, the police said a swift operation was launched by a team led by a deputy superintendent of police in the Anchar area on the outskirts of the city to nab Bhat.
The police alleged that Bhat was "instrumental" in mobilising miscreants in and around Jenab Sahib Soura on Srinagar-Leh highway.
On August 6 and 7, protests in the area was highlighted by the international media leading to a stricter restrictions in and around.
Formerly affiliated with Muslim League, Bhat was earlier booked two times under the stringent Public Safety Act as there were 16 cases registered against him pertaining to law and order disturbances.
The police have registered three fresh cases against him this year at Soura police station for his involvement in "subversive" activities.