Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) ‘commander’ Saifullah was among two militants killed in an operation in a dense residential area of Barzulla in Srinagar on Monday.
“Saifullah, a Pakistani national, infiltrated into Kashmir earlier this year. In the last two months, he shifted his base from north to south Kashmir. He was involved in planning and executing major terror attacks, including the killing of a CRPF officer at Chadoora on September 24 and two CRPF personnel in Pampore on October 5,” Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh said.
Saifullah and his associate, Irshad Ahmed Dar alias Abu Usama, a resident of Pulwama who was active since May 2019, were trapped in a house in the Barzulla area on Sunday night.
“They were given the opportunity to surrender after evacuating all civilians. However, they fired indiscriminately,” Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar said.
The police said incriminating materials, including arms and ammunition, were recovered from the site of encounter.
“The bodies of the terrorists shall be sent to Baramulla for burial after the completion of all medico-legal formalities. The nearest family members of the killed local terrorist shall be allowed to participate in the last rites”, the police said.
One house was fully damaged and three others partially hit during the operation.
Around 18 militants have been killed in eight encounters in Srinagar this year, an indicator of growing militant activity in the capital.
‘180 militants killed this year so far’
Mr. Singh said 180 militants were killed in 75 anti-militancy operations in Kashmir this year so far.
“Whenever any militant outfit tries to establish its base in Srinagar, we successfully corner the militant with the help of our intelligence and other sources”, the DGP said, adding that one militant was still active in Srinagar.