War on terror notched one of the biggest successes this year when security forces on Friday killed six top terrorist commanders, including Azad Ahmad Malik alias Azad Dada, one of the assassins of Shujaat Bukhari, Chief Editor of The Rising Kashmir, in a "surgical operation" at Sekipora jungles in Anantnag district.
Police said based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists belonging to Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a cordon and search operation was launched jointly by police and security forces inside a jungle area of Sekipora, Bijbhera in the wee hours of Friday.
"When the searches were going on, terrorists fired at the forces. The fire was retaliated and in the counter-attack six terrorists were killed," said a police spokesman.
The slain terrorists were identified as Azad Ahmad Malik, Unais Shafi, Basit Ishtiyaq, Atif Najar, Firdous Ahmad and Shahid Bashir. While Unais Shafi (district commander) and Basit Ishtiyaq were from Hizbul, other four were from LeT.
"Azad Ahmad Malik alias Azad Dada, district commander of LeT for Anantnag, was a close associate of absconding accused Naveed Jatt. Azad Dada among other terror offences had also figured in the assassination of journalist Shujaat Bukhari and his security personnel. In the case which is under investigation, a hue and cry notice was issued against the individual along with three others on the basis of material evidence collected," said the spokesman.
Shujaat Bukhari was assassinated along with two of his personal security officers when terrorists fired indiscriminately at his vehicle outside his office at Press Colony on July 14.
Police had identified three assassins as Muzaffar Ahmad alias Talha, a resident of Sopat, Qazigund who is an important LeT operative active since January 2018; Naveed Jutt alias Hanzullah of Pakistan, who escaped from SMHS hospital in February and Azad Ahmad Malik alias Dada alias Zaid of Arwani, Bijbhera. Dada was active since 2010. The fourth accused is hiding in Pakistan.
The army commander said more than 200 terrorists have been killed in the last 11 months in the Kashmir valley. “Wherever the terrorist will be they will be neutralised. Those who take up arms will be neutralised. We want restoration of peace. We have the cooperation of youth and people and our endeavour is that Kashmir should be peaceful,” he said.