Srinagar: Two Lasker-e-Toiba terrorists including one involved in the killing of a bank guard, Sanjay Sharma were killed in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Tuesday, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said.
The encounter broke out in Alshipora village of Shopian after Police, 44 Rashtriya Rifles, and CRPF cordoned off the area at 1 am. The cordon was established after specific input of the presence of terrorists in the area.
“#Encounter has started at Alshipora area of #Shopian. Police and security forces are on the job. Further details shall follow.@JmuKmrPolice,” Kashmir Zone Police posted on X soon after the encounter broke out.
“#ShopianEncounterUpdate: Two (02) #terrorists killed. Search going on. Further details shall follow. @JmuKmrPolice,” Kashmir Zone Police posted on X after the killing of terrorists.
Later, ADGP, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar posted on X that one of the killed terrorists Jazim Farooq alias Abrar was involved in the killing of a bank guard, Sanjay Sharma.
Sharma, 42, was shot dead near his native village in Pulwama in February this year.
“#ShopianEncounterUpdate: Killed #terrorists have been identified as Morifat Maqbool & Jazim Farooq @ Abrar of #terror outfit LeT. #Terrorist Abrar was involved in the killing of Kashmiri Pandit late Sanjay Sharma: ADGP Kashmir@JmuKmrPolice,” ADGP Kashmir posted on X.
Police here said that based on specific information regarding the presence of terrorists in the village Alshipora area of district Shopian, a joint Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) was launched by Police in Shopian, 44 RR of the Army, and CRPF 178 Bn in the area.
“During the search operation, as the joint search party approached the suspected spot, the terrorists fired indiscriminately at them, which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, two terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of the encounter,” Police said. “They have been identified as Marifat Maqbool, son of Muhammad Mangloo of Cheigund Keegam, Shopian, and Jazim Farooq alias Abrar, son of Farooq Ahmad Wani of Heff Shirmal, Shopian.”
As per the Police records: “Both the killed terrorists were categorised terrorists and involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on Police and other security forces and civilian atrocities,” Police said. “The killed terrorist Jazim Farooq alias Abrar was involved in case FIR No 14/2023 under Section 302 and 307 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 7/27 of the Arms Act, and 16, 18, and 20 of the UAP Act of Police Station Litter about the killing of Sharma.”
It said: “Terrorist Marifat Maqbool was involved in case FIR No 202/2022 under Section 20 and 38 of the ULA(P) Act of Police Station Shopian. Another terrorist Aqib Bhat of Malangpora Pulwama, involved in the killing of Sharma, was already killed in the Padgampora encounter in February 2023.”
Police said that the ADGP Kashmir congratulated the joint team of Police and security forces for conducting a successful operation without any collateral damage and termed the operation as a big success.
In the afternoon, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 15 Corps, Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai visited the 44 RR and complimented the troops for the precise conduct of the operation. “Chinar Corps Cdr visits South Kashmir Again’ #ChinarCorps Cdr visited Rashtriya Rifles troops deployed in the Counter-Terrorism grid in South Kashmir today. He complimented them for the immaculate planning and precise conduct of Op Alishahpur, #Shopian on night 09-10 Oct, where Two terrorists were eliminated & war-like stores recovered. #Kashmir @adgpi @NorthernComd_IA,” Chinar Corps Indian Army posted on X.
He was accompanied by GOC Victor Force Major General Balbir Singh.
He also interacted with SSP Shopian.
Additional reporting by GULZAR BHAT from Shopian
With the killing of the two terrorists in Shopian on Tuesday, the area witnessed its first encounter in 2023.
Earlier, in April, an encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in Cahkoora village, some 12 km from Shopian town.
However, the terrorists managed to escape, taking the advantage of pitch darkness of the night.
“It is the first successful encounter occurring in the district during the ongoing year,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shopian, Tanushree said.
The graph of militancy in the area has drastically come down over the last few years with only a few active terrorists left in the district.
Police records suggest that from October 2016 to April 2018, around 58 youth signed up for different terror groups in the area.
“After today’s encounter, the number of terrorists in the district has dropped to seven,” Tanushree said. “Ten terrorists were active in the area. Of them two were killed in Tuesday’s encounter while one had crossed over the Line of Control (LoC), bringing down the number of active terrorists in the area to seven.”