Srinagar, Aug 3: A Lashkar-e-Toiba militant was killed in an eight day long operation in the Bandipora district of north Kashmir on Tuesday, police said.
Police identified the slain militant as Baber Ali, a resident Punjab Pakistan.
This is the first encounter of this month. “#Encounter has started at Chandaji area of #Bandipora. Police and security forces are on the job. Further details shall follow. @JmuKmrPolice,” Kashmir zone police said in a tweet early Tuesday morning.
The encounter broke out after a joint team of 26 Assam Rifles, Police and CRPF was fired upon by the militant in the Chandaji forests on Thursday morning. This was the first operation by Assam Rifles after they replaced 27 Rashtriya Rifles in Bandipora.
“He was part of terrorist group which was killed on 24 July operation in Shokbaba forests,” General Officer Commanding, Kilo Force, Major General H S Sahi told Greater Kashmir. “It took around eight days to track him down.”
In that operation (started on 24 July), Gen Sahi said, three militants including two locals were killed earlier. “Since then massive searches were underway in the forests around Shokbaba.”
A police spokesman said here that the LeT terrorist Babar Ali who had escaped from Shokbaba encounter on 24 July was killed in an encounter at Chandajji forest area of Bandipora today.
“It is pertinent to mention that on 23/24 July 03 terrorists of proscribed terror outfit LeT including Sharik Altaf (who had ex-filtrated in 2018) were killed in Shokbaba encounter,” the spokesman said. “However, terrorist Babar Ali had managed to escape from the said encounter site and was being continuously tracked rigorously thereafter. In furtherance of the tracking and after pinpointing his presence in Chandajji forest area today a joint operation was launched by Police, 26 Assam Rifles & CRPF in the said area.”
“During the search operation, the hiding terrorist fired upon the search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, the hiding terrorist Babar Ali resident of Ugada district of Punjab Pakistan was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of encounter,” he said.
Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including 01AK-rifle, 02 AK-Magazines, 40 AK-rounds, 01 pouch, 01 wireless set and 01 medicine bag were recovered from the site of encounter, the spokesman said.
The IGP Kashmir, the spokesman said, congratulated the joint team of Police/SF for successfully tracking down the terrorist and conducting operation in a professional manner without any collateral damage.
In this connection, Police has registered a case under relevant sections of law and investigation has been initiated.