Srinagar: Two militants of Jaish-e-Muhammad were killed in an encounter in Pulwama district of south Kashmir on Wednesday.
Police identified the slain militants as Yasir Parray of Qasbayar Pulwama and Abu Furkan alias Ali Bhai, a Pakistani resident. Police said Yasir was an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) expert.
The encounter broke out after Pulwama Police, 44 Rashtriya Rifles and Central Reserve Police Force cordoned off Qasbayar area of Pulwama during the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, after specific inputs of presence of militants in the area.
“Encounter has started at Qasbayar area of Pulwama. Police and security forces are on the job. Further details shall follow. @JmuKmrPolice,” Kashmir Zone Police wrote on Twitter early Wednesday morning.
After about three hours of gunfight, police in another tweet said that two militants were killed. “PulwamaEncounterUpdate: 2 terrorists killed. Identification & affiliation being ascertained. Search going on. Further details shall follow. @JmuKmrPolice,” police said in another Tweet.
Quoting IGP Kashmir saying that killing of Yasir was big success police in another Tweet identified the slain militants. “PulwamaEncounterUpdate: Terrorist commander of proscribed terror outfit JeM Yasir Parray, an IED Expert & foreign terrorist Furqan neutralised. Both were involved in several terror crime cases. A big success: IGP Kashmir @JmuKmrPolice.”
Police also said that after ascertaining the presence of militants in the area, they were given ample opportunity to surrender. However they denied. Police said that two AK 47 Rifles were recovered from slain militants.
“Two terrorists were neutralized in an anti-terrorist operation carried out in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district which include IED expert Yasir Parray and a foreign terrorist Abu Furkan,” police said. “On a specific input generated by Pulwama Police regarding presence of terrorists in Qasbayar area of Pulwama, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police, 44RR and 183Bn CRPF in the said area. During the search operation, as the presence of terrorists got ascertained, they were given opportunity to surrender; however they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter.”
In the ensuing encounter, police said: “Two terrorists of proscribed terror outfit JeM were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. The killed terrorists have been identified as Yasir Parray resident of Qasbayar Pulwama (an IED expert) and foreign terrorist Furkan @Ali Bhai resident of Pakistan,” police said.
“As per police records, both the killed terrorists were part of groups involved in planning and executing terror attacks on security establishments and civilian killings. The killed terrorist Yasir Parray figured among the list of most wanted terrorists operating in the valley as he was a highly trained IED expert. Besides other terror crimes, he was also instrumental in motivating and recruiting the youth to join terror folds and other criminal activities.”
Police further said: “Killed terrorist Yasir Parray was also involved in carrying out an IED attack at Arihal in which two Army Jawans of 2RR were martyred and 17 others injured. He was also involved in an attack on Police Naka at Prichoo Pulwama in which HC Anoop Singh of IRP 10th Bn attained martyred and injuries to other police personnel. He was also involved in barring people from participating in democratic activities, besides issuing death threats to DDCs, BDCs, Panchs, Sarpanchs, other political workers and police personnel.”
“Besides, the other killed terrorist Abu Furkan was active in Kashmir valley since 2018 figuring among the list of top 60 terrorists and used to operate in Pulwama and Pakharpora area of Budgam. He was involved in various terrorist activities, recruitment of local youth into JeM terror folds and mentoring active terrorists of JeM,” Police said. “ He was responsible for providing capabilities on fabrication of IEDs. Moreover, he along with terrorist Yasir Parray were the main conspirators of Avandgund Rajpora VB-IED in which 50Kg IED laden Santro Vehicle was recovered and defused by Police and security forces. They were also involved in killing of a civilian Azad Ahmad Dar resident of Kangan Pulwama.”
Police said incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including 2 AK-series rifles, 2 pistols were recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation. Police has registered a case under relevant sections of law and investigation has been initiated.
“IGP Kashmir termed it a big success and congratulated police and security forces for conducting successful operation without any collateral damage,” police said.