STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: Three Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, including a self-styled commander of the outfit, were killed in an encounter with security forces near the route of the annual Amarnath Yatra in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, police said.
Based on specific inputs about the presence of terrorists in the Srichand Top forest area in Pahalgam, Anantnag, security forces launched a cordon and search operation there, a police official said.
Hybrid terrorist, associate arrested in Baramulla
Srinagar: Security forces on Friday arrested a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) hybrid’ terrorist and his associate in Baramulla district and recovered arms and ammunition from their possession, police said.
On specific information regarding movement of terrorists, a checkpoint was established by security forces near Hilltop Cheradari in Baramulla, a police spokesman said.
During checking, two suspicious persons tried to flee the spot on noticing the joint party of the forces. However, they were apprehended, he said.
The arrested duo has been identified as Ashiq Hossain Lone, a resident of Hyder Mohalla Ushkara Baramulla, and Uzair Amin Ganie, a resident of Kanthbagh Baramulla.
During their search, incriminating material, arms and ammunition, including a pistol, a magazine, eight live rounds, two hand grenades and two UBGL grenades, were recovered from their possession, the spokesman said.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the arrested duo is linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT and had obtained these illegal arms and ammunition through some foreign terrorists with the intention to carry out terrorist activities in Baramulla and its adjacent areas, he added.
A case has been registered and further investigation is in progress, the spokesman said.
Police say hybrid’ terrorists are sympathetic to the terrorist cause and are radicalised enough to carry out targeted attacks and then slip back into normal life.
Moreover, Budgam Police alongwith 62RR and 43Bn CRPF has arrested two terrorist associates of proscribed terror outfit AGuH in Huroo area of Budgam. They have been identified as Amir Manzoor Budoo son of Manzoor Ahmad Budoo resident of Dangerpora Razwan and Shahid Rasool Ganaie son of Gh Rasool Ganaie resident of Puttermulla Safapora Ganderbal. Incriminating materials including ammunition 01 hand grenade and 25 AK-47 rounds have been recovered from their possession. Accordingly, a case vide FIR No. 134/2022 under relevant sections of law has been registered at Police Station Budgam and further investigation has been taken up.
He said the search operation turned into an encounter after the hiding terrorists fired at the security forces.
In retaliation, three terrorists were killed, the official said.
The ultras belonged to the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, he added.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar identified one of the slain ultras as Ashraf Molvi — one of the oldest surviving terrorists of the outfit.
Ashraf Molvi hailing from Tengpawa Kokernag had joined Hizb-ul-Mujahideen in 2013 and soon became one of the most wanted terrorists in the valley.
Mohd Ashraf Khan alias Ashraf Molvi (one of oldest surviving #terrorist of HM #terror outfit) along with two other terrorists killed, he said on Twitter.
Kumar said the operation on the Amarnath Yatra route was a major success for the security forces.
According to police spokesperson, the other two slain terrorists have been identified as Mohd Rafiq Drangay and Roshan Zameer Tantray @Aqib.
As per police records, all the three categorized killed terrorists were part of groups involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on Police/SF and civilian atrocities. As per police records, the killed terrorist Mohd Ashraf Khan alias Molvi was the oldest surviving terrorist of Hizb and figured among the list of most wanted terrorists after recycling in year 2013. He had a long history of terror crime cases which include attacks on police, security forces and civilian atrocities. He was involved in the martyrdom of Ct Imtiyaz Ahmad at Bus Stand Anantnag on September 9,2017, Mohd Saleem Dar resident of Larkipora, Fatehpora Anantnag on April 2, 2020, martyrdom of ASI Mohammad Ashraf near Police Station Bijbehara on December 22, /2021; HC Ali Mohd Ganie at Hasanpora Tabeela on January 29, 2022. Besides, Molvi was also well trained in fabricating and planting of IEDs as he had crossed over to PoK in 1999 to get illegal arms training and join terror folds. He was also instrumental in reviving the terror folds of Hizb in Anantnag by recruiting the gullible youth into terror folds. Moreover, on his directions terrorists killed Sarpanch Ghulam Rasool Dar and his wife Jawahara Begum at Lal Chowk Anantnag on August 9, 2021.
Similarly, the killed terrorist Roshan Zameer Tantray was active since 2018 and involved in several terror crimes along with Ashraf Molvi He was also involved in killing of a truck driver namely Narayan Dutt resident of Sara Kotla Katra Reasi who was loading apple in his truck bearing registration No. JK02AQ-6571 at Fruit Mandi Kanalwan.
Moreover, the killed terrorist Mohd Rafiq Drangay was active since 2019 and involved in several terror crime cases along with Ashraf Molvi and Roshan Zameer.
Incriminating materials, huge cache of arms and ammunition were also recovered from the site of encounter. In this connection, Police has registered a case under relevant sections of law and investigation has been initiated.
Pahalgam, the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir, also serves as one of the base camps for the yatra, which is scheduled to start from June 30 after a gap of two years. Earlier on Thursday, an active terrorist of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen was arrested along with arms and ammunition in the Kokernag area of Anantnag distric.