Security forces patrol the Zora Kralpora Chadoora area in Budgam where the encounter took place (,Image Credit: ANI)
A combined operation consisting of the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir police have neutralised three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists in the Budgam sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, police reports said.
The firefight between terrorists and security forces took place after a joint team of the police and the security forces cordoned off an area in Zolwa Kralpore Chadoora and launched a search operation on the basis of specific information about the presence of terrorists.
Arms and ammunition were recovered from the site, news agency ANI reported. Further developments are awaited.
On Thursday, the Jammu and Kashmir police busted a suspected terrorist module in Barzulla, Srinagar, while probing the case of the murder of a property dealer named Rauf Ahmed in Safakadal on December 22.
"Based on further analysis and credible human intelligence, Srinagar Police detected suspicious movement of terrorists in the Bhagat Barzulla area. On this Srinagar police along with CRPF laid special Nakas and apprehended two terrorists of proscribed terrorist organization TRF/MGH an off shoots of LET/JeM near Barzulla Bridge," the police statement released yesterday reads.
2 pistols, 6 magazines, 69 rounds, 2 pistol silencers have been recovered from their hideout in Srinagar City. So far, 4 pistols, 8 pistol magazines, 99 live rounds, and two pistol silencers have been recovered in the case.
The arrested militants were identified as Suhail Qadir Khanday and Suhail Mushtaq Waza who, under interrogation, revealed that they were being directed by Asif Maqbool Dar, based in Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan-based Sajad Gul, who would give them the names of targets to kill. Two aides of the militants were arrested as well.
A spate of civilian killings rocked Jammu and Kashmir in the latter half of 2021, with 189 militants, 41 civilians and 44 security personnel killed between January and December of 2021 according to figures released by the Quint. Civilian assassinations have also plagued Srinagar with migrant workers, teachers and Kashmiri Pundits also counting amongst the victims.