2 Jaish terrorists involved in killing of lady SPO gunned down

SRINAGAR: Two Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists who were involved in the killing of a lady SPO and also responsible for several attacks on security establishments in J&K were gunned down by security forces in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Saturday.

A senior police officer said JeM terrorists Shahjahan Mir alias Umar Khitab of Amshipora and Abid Wagay of Rawalpora Shopian, also responsible for several civilian atrocities, were killed in Gahand area of Shopian after a brief exchange of fire and their bodies were recovered along with weapons and warlike stores. Shahjahan was one of the top commanders of the terror outfit.

On March 16, lady SPO Khushboo Jan was shot at from a close range near her house in south Kashmir. She died on her way to the hospital.

Giving details of the encounter, the police officer said a joint team of Army, CRPF and SOG men cordoned off Gahand village and started a search operation at 7.30am. The terrorists hiding in an apple orchard opened fire on the forces. The two were then killed in the retaliatory firing by security forces. Following the killings, locals started hurling stones at the troops. The jawans were then forced to use teargas shells and pellets to disperse the protesters, resulting in injuries to several people, reports said.

A police spokesman said Shahjahan was also involved in the snatching of weapons and killing of four police personnel at Arhama Shopian in 2018.