Pulwama encounter: Without knowing his identity, forces killed Masood Azhar’s nephew in 4-hour operation

Though there wasn’t any major attempt by civilian population to disrupt this operation, police sources said that a civilian was injured in the firing. (Representational Image)

When a party of Special Operations Group of the J&K Police and army arrived at Aglar last evening, a hamlet six kilometres from Rajpora in Pulwama, they didn’t know Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar’s nephew was encircled by them. They had only one specific input: a group of Jaish militants, who had killed a policeman in an ambush in Rajpora three days earlier, were hiding there.

“The information was specific. Our source had told us that the Jaish guys had arrived. We knew they are staying in Ghulam Mohammad Lone’s house. We knew Lone because he has been a known overground worker (OGW) of Jaish,” Inspector General of J&K Police, Kashmir zone, Muneer Ahmed Khan told The Indian Express. “The inner cordon was laid swiftly”, he said. Khan said that it took police two days to plan this operation. “We have been pursuing this group of Jaish militants ever since they killed constable Abdul Salam,” he said.

Khan said that unlike locals, these Jaish militants were trained. “It took us four hours to conclude the operation against them despite having specific information about their hideout”. The operation, police said, began little before 6 PM on Monday and concluded around 10 PM.

The police knew three militants, including Mehmood Bhai, the divisional commander of Jaish for South Kashmir, were inside. A source said that Lone was questioned about the presence of the militants. “By then one of the militants had come out and opened fire. The bullet hit the head of a soldier who died on the spot,” the source said. “The militant killed in retaliatory firing immediately”. By then the forces had encircled a few houses around Lone’s where the militants were hiding.

“The speed of the operation has substantially increased ever since we introduced bullet proof JCP and tactical shield to get close to the hideout,” a source said. “Earlier we had to bring an ordinary JCP and there was always apprehension that its civilian driver may get hurt or killed in the firing. The army as well as the CRPF has acquired a bullet proof JCP which comes handy in every operation,” added the source.

Sources said that neither J&K Police nor any other agency was aware about the presence of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Moulana Masood Azhar’s nephew. “We got to know about it only once Jaish announced it,” IGP Khan said. “We don’t know whether he (the slain militant) is son of Azhar’s brother or sister. His (Azhar’s) brother Rouf was involved in Kandahar hijacking,” he said. Khan said that they recovered a US made M 4 carbine which is manufactured by Colt from the Jaish militants.

Sources in police said that they were aware that the militants active in the area are in possession of this US made rifle. “A few days ago, a local militant Sameer Tiger’s picture carrying the M4 had gone viral on social media,’’ the source said. He said that the local militant Wasim Ganai, who was also killed in the operation, had only a pistol with him. “We think the reason why this group had ambushed a police party in which a constable was killed was to snatch their weapons,’’ he said. Ganai had been active as a militant since August 19 this year.

Though there wasn’t any major attempt by civilian population to disrupt this operation, police sources said that a civilian was injured in the firing.

Sources reveal that the forces have devised a new strategy to prevent protests and stone pelting at the encounter site. “While 20 to 30 men form the inner cordon, three, four companies are used to make the outer cordon. There is another cordon around the outer cordon which is specifically tasked to prevent civilians to come closer to the encounter site,” a source said.