LeT’s top leader Abu Dujana was killed by security forces on Tuesday.
At nearly midnight on Monday security officials were given clear and reliable information on the whereabouts of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Abu Dujana. A trusted source informed them that Dujana was holed up inside a house in Pulwama district, reported news agency PTI. Crack teams of the Special Operations Group (SOG) were immediately mobilised and sent towards Hakripura, which is a bastion for LeT militants near Pulwama.
The dramatic events that ensued led to the killing of Dujana, whose real name is unknown, on Tuesday morning. The Pakistani has evaded security forces on more than 12 occassions.
Based on the the tip-off, Deputy Inspector General (South Kashmir) Swayam Prakash Pani personally supervised the operations, both in cornering the militants and evacuating civilians from the village. Despite facing incidents of stone-pelting, the Pulwama district police along with the SOG, army personnel from Victor Force and 182-182 battalion of the CRPF constructed a cordon in the area, isolating the region where the operations were on, officials told PTI.
Read: LeT commander Abu Dujana killed in Pulwama encounter: What has happened so far. Click here.
Dujana, along with another militant, Arif Bhat, was located inside a densely-populated colony. The two LeT operatives opened fire at forces, who were simultaneously trying to ensure the civilians inside the house were safely evacuated. SOG personnel were the first to enter the house. They rescued six people by providing cover fire, an official recounted to PTI. Dujana and Bhat were killed shortly after, in an exchange of fire.
According to officials, Dujana had led the family he was staying with into believing that he was from Karachi and that Bhat was a local from Lallhar in Pulwama.
The operation did not end here. On hearing that the LeT leaders had been killed, armed militants appearing from the crowd opened fire at security personnel. The operation, which began at midnight, ended at dawn, at 6.30 am this morning.
Dujana, an A+++ category militant, carried a bounty of over Rs 15 lakh on his head. Dujana was nominated to be the top commander of the LeT group after Abu Qasim was killed in 2015. He was one of the top recruiters for the militants, especially in south Kashmir. Also read: Who is Abu Dujana? Click here.
Army personnal stand guard near the encounter site. (Express Photo/Shuaib Masoodi)
Over 100 protesters resorted to pelting stones at personnel; at least one civilian was killed and over 40 other injured. Authorities, in response, used tear smoke shells, pellets and a few round to disperse the crowds. In a statement to the media, a police official confirmed: “One person with fire arm injuries was brought dead at Pulwama district hospital.” The victim’s identity was not revealed. As the day proceeded, protests erupted in other parts of the city as well.
IG Kashmir, Munir Khan, “Stone pelting or no pelting, disruptions or no disruptions, our operations will continue. In spite of our warnings and requests, people on behest of terrorists tend to come in between encounter, and that is how they get injured or killed,” reported ANI.
Meanwhile, in a precautionary measure, the government has suspended mobile internet services across the state. The police added that it will prevent miscreants from resorting to unnecessary propaganda. Broadband internet services on landlines were working functional, however.
Around 40 persons were injured on Tuesday in clashes following the killing of top LeT commander Abu Dujana. (Express Photo/Shuaib Masoodi)
Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju hailed security forces for their prompt action. “The security forces are taking proper action, be it in Jammu and Kashmir or in some other part of the country, and they are taking firm steps in respective cases.”
(With inputs from agencies)
