NIA conducts searches in Pulwama, arrests 4 for harbouring Pak-based JeM ultras
STATE TIMES NEWS
Srinagar: Three terrorists were gunned down in two separate encounters with security forces in Kashmir on Monday, taking the number of ultras killed in the past 24 hours to seven, police said.
A police spokesperson said two terrorists were killed in a fresh exchange of fire in the ongoing encounter in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, taking the death toll in the overnight operation to four.
Two terrorists were killed in the encounter on Sunday.
“KupwaraEncounterUpdate: 02 more #terrorists including #terrorist Showkat got #neutralised (total 04). #Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition recovered. Search going on. Further details shall follow,” the police spokesperson tweeted.
In another encounter in Pulwama district, an unidentified militant was killed.
The encounter broke out in Pulwama’s Chatpora after the security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the area, a police official said.
In the exchange of fire between the two sides, a militant was killed, the official said, adding that the operation was underway when reports last came in.
Meanwhile, the NIA conducted searches at seven locations in Pulwama and arrested four people for allegedly harbouring terrorists of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).
The case relates to the terrorist activities of the JeM in South Kashmir, during which two terrorists, including a Pakistani national, were killed by security forces in a gun battle at Chewa Kalan, Pulwama on March 11, a spokesperson of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said.
The terrorists were identified as Aquib Mushtaq Bhat of Pulwama and Kamal Bhai of Pakistan, he said.
The case, registered in Pulwama, was taken over by the NIA on April 8.
During the searches, a large quantity of incriminating material was seized, the NIA said.
Based on these searches, four accused — Sahil Ahmed Khan, Jahangir Ahmed Dar, Shahid Ahmed Shergojri and Inayat Gulzar Bhat all from Pulwama, have been arrested, the spokesperson said.
The four accused had harboured JeM terrorists active in South Kashmir and arranged transportation and logistics for them, he said.
They are also involved in radicalising impressionable local youth and motivating them to join terror groups, the NIA said, adding that further investigation in the case continues.
