Four local terrorists killed in two back-to-back encounters in 24 hours

SRINAGAR: Amid two back-to-back encounters with security forces in which four local terrorists were killed in the last 24 hours in Shopian district of south Kashmir, Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday chaired a high-level security meeting here and directed the security top brass to step up anti-terror operations to make J&K “militancy-free” so that people taste real democracy and reap the benefits of peace.
While three Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists were killed in a gunfight at Drach village on Tuesday night, the second encounter took place at Moolu village on Wednesday in which one Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist was killed, ADGP Kashmir range Vijay Kumar said. He added that of the three terrorists killed in Drach, two were involved in the recent killing of an SPO and a non-local labourer.
Shah, on the last day of his three-day J&K visit, chaired the crucial security review attended by J&K DGP Dilbagh Singh, ADGP Kumar, GoC 15 Corps, DG BSF and IG BSF, besides a team of MHA officials accompanying the home minister.
The Union minister was given a power-point presentation over the progress achieved on the anti-terror and anti-infiltration front. “The home minister lauded the security agencies for their role in the aftermath of nullification of Article 370 in tackling terrorism and preventing infiltration,” an official said.
He said Shah expressed gratitude over the “improved figures of violence-related incidents” that include drop in killings of security forces personnel and civilians. The home minister also expressed satisfaction over intelligence-based anti-terror operations and stated that security agencies must step up action to wipe out terrorism from J&K so that people can taste real democracy and reap the benefits of peace, the official said.
J&K LG Manoj Sinha, who also took part in the meeting, explained the policy adopted by the security forces — “Begunah ko chhedo mat, gunehgaar ko chhodo mat (Don’t provoke the innocent, don’t spare the offender)”.
Shah stressed that the common man should feel free and live a life without hassles while those fomenting trouble, especially anti-peace elements, including OGWs and terror supporters, should be crushed to the core.
Challenges related to social media, including “online propaganda” being launched by handlers sitting across the border, were also discussed in the meeting. Shah stressed “adopting a sustained counter mechanism” that includes blocking the pages trying to radicalise the youth through online platforms.
Sources said that the home minister called for steps to be taken to reach out to the youth and enhance sports infrastructure at district level to keep them engaged.
The Union minister also praised the Army for protecting the borders and plugging infiltration. Expressing satisfaction over almost zero infiltration, he said that the Centre is providing all the latest equipment to the Army and BSF to help them keep vigil and detect infiltration along the LoC and international borders.
On the encounters, ADGP Kumar said a joint team of police, Army and CRPF, after receiving information about the presence of terrorists in Drach and Moolu villages, launched search operations in the area. The search operations triggered encounters with the hiding terrorists. In the exchange of fire at Moolu, one terrorist affiliated with LeT was killed while the operation is continuing.
Before that three Jaish terrorists were killed in a night-long encounter in Drach, Kumar said, adding that two of the slain terrorists were involved in the killing of SPO Javed Dar and a labourer from West Bengal recently.
“Killed #terrorists Hanan Bin Yaqoob & Jamshed were involved in recent #killing of SPO Javed Dar on 2/10/22 at Pinglana in #Pulwama & an outside labourer from West Bengal on 24/9/22 in Pulwama,” Kashmir Police Zone tweeted.