Srinagar: Police on Sunday said that an arrested hybrid terrorist involved in the attack on two non-local labourers while accompanying a Police search party to identify a hideout was killed when terrorists opened fire.
In a series of tweets, Kashmir Zone Police said that the gunfight started at Cheki Dudoo area of Bijbehara in Anantnag district when Police and Army started a search operation.
Police said on November 12 night, two non-local labourers were critically injured when they were attacked at Rakhmoman, Bijbehara.
It said that among the injured, a labourer Chota Prasad, son of Nethoni Prasad of Gorakhpur, Khushi Nagar, Uttar Pradesh (UP) succumbed to his injuries on November 18 while Govind, son of Beema of Khushi Nagar, UP was under treatment.
In this connection, an FIR No 194/2022 was registered at Police Station Bijbehara.
Police said that during investigation, it arrested a hybrid terrorist Sajad Ahmad Tantray alias Furqan, son of Muhammad Maqbool Tantray of Shirpora, Kulgam and that during questioning, he confessed of his involvement in the commission of the terror crime by using illegally-obtained pistol that was recovered at his disclosure.
According to Police, the accused confessed to having knowledge about the presence of terrorists at Cheki Duddo area of Bijbehara following which Police and 3 RR of the Army launched a joint Cordon and Search Operation (CASO).
“While the search party approached the suspected hideout identified by the accused, it came under fire in which the accused Sajad received critical gunshot injuries,” Police said. “The injured was immediately shifted to SDH Bijbehara where doctors declared him brought dead. The cordon in the entire area has been strengthened with the help of reinforcement and the search operation is in progress.”
Police said that the accused Sajad was earlier a terrorist associate of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and was involved in case FIR No 72/2018 of Police Station Yaripora, FIR No 55/2018 of Police Station Yaripora, and FIR No 80/2018 of Police Station Anantnag.
It said that he was also detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA) from June 2019 to December 2019.
Meanwhile, Police said that it along with 2 RR of the Army arrested three hybrid terrorists along with a huge consignment of arms and ammunition including three AK rifles, two pistols, nine magazines, 200 rounds, and other incriminating material from the outskirts of Srinagar.
It said that during the Saturday night, on a specific input regarding the presence of illegal arms and ammunition in the residential house of Rafaqat Hussain Shah, son of Syed Akbar Shah of Panjtaran, Karnah area of Kupwara, Police and 6-JAKRIF of the Army launched a joint CASO.
Police said that during the search operation, a huge cache of arms and ammunition including a pistol, two pistol magazines, 16 pistol rounds, two hand grenades, two detonators, and other incriminating material was recovered from the house.