SRINAGAR: Three terrorists were killed in an anti-terror operation at Lawaypora on Srinagar’s outskirts on Wednesday, but the kin of one of the slain men claimed he was a Kashmir University student who had left home to write his exams, only to lose his life in a “fake encounter”.
Official sources identified the slain trio as Aijaz Ahmad Ganie and Ather Mushtaq from Pulwama, and Zubair Ahmad Lone from Shopian. “Since the past many days, we had been flooded with intelligence inputs about terrorists’ movement on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway. Yesterday (December 29), we learnt that ultras were hiding in a house right opposite Noora hospital in Lawaypora, HMT area,” GOC Kilo Force H S Sahi said at a press conference.
On ascertaining the presence of terrorists, a joint team of Army’s 2RR, CRPF and J&K Police cordoned the area and asked them to surrender, but the ultras “fired indiscriminately and even lobbed grenades at the security forces, triggering an encounter. The operation was halted as darkness fell but the cordon layers tightened. It resumed with first light on Wednesday, ending around 11.30am with the killing of the three terrorists,” GOC Sahi said. Police said an AK-47 rifle, two pistols and some grenades were recovered from the spot.
Aijaz’s family from Pulwama’s Putrigam area, however, contested the Army’s claim stating he had left a day ago to appear in the varsity examination and they were “shocked” to see his body on social media labelled as a “terrorist”. The distraught family staged a protest outside Srinagar Police Control Room and raised slogans demanding Aijaz’s body. Some youths, meanwhile, pelted stones at security forces near the encounter site after the firefight ended.
The GOC, however, was yet to confirm the identities and affiliation of the slain trio. He lauded the security forces for the “clean operation” without any casualties to the team or civilians, adding that in the past week, five terrorists including one from Pakistan were killed in two gunfights in north Kashmir.
Asked why terrorists are choosing Srinagar’s outskirts or highways for terror attacks on security forces, GOC Sahi said, “They do so to get maximum publicity. The nature of ammunition used by terrorists in today’s gunfight suggests they were planning a big strike on the highway.” Another reason for choosing the area is because it has a congested locality, lanes and bylanes. “They perhaps feel these areas are a safe haven. But our intelligence grid is very strong and we won’t allow any terror bid. With Republic Day approaching, they might be planning something sinister but we are alert and will foil all their plans,” said the GOC, who was flanked by Commander 10 Sector RR Naresh Mishra and West Srinagar SP Shehzad Saliar besides other top officials of Army and police at the conference.