Indian security forces on Sunday claimed to have wiped out the top leadership of the Pro Pakistan terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) in Kashmir valley.
After Majid Khan, a local footballer from Anantnag responded to the passionate appeals made by his mother on different social media platforms and on the mainstream media and returned home the local police and army officers have expressed hope that many more local boys would be willing to return home soon.
On Saturday Indian army, Jammu and Kashmir police and Central Reserve Police force (CRPF) hit a jackpot by successfully eliminating six top commanders of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) in Hajin area of Bandipore district.
Lt General J.S. Sandhu, General Officer in Command of 15 Corps, on Sunday told reporters: “With the elimination of six of its commanders the top leadership of LeT in the Valley has been wiped out.”
Lt Gen JS Sandhu said, “One of the prize catch of the surgical operation turned out to be a nephew of 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi. He was identified as Owaid, son of Zakir Rehman Maki.
Owaid is the third close relative of Lashkar chief Lakhvi who was killed in Kashmir.
In 2007, Lakhvi’s son Mohammad Qasim, 20, was killed in the same district in a fierce gunfight at Gamroo village in Bandipore. In January this year, Abu Musaib, nephew of Lakhvi was killed in a gunfight in Hajin.
The terrorists were staying together in a house in village Chandegeer for last two-three days in the area when security forces tightened the cordon after receiving a tip-off.
The killing of all these top commanders before the onset of winter has apparently wiped out the outfit’s base in the area.
110 foreign terrorists killed so far
Giving details of ongoing counter terror operations in the Kashmir valley the senior army officer said “We have killed about 190 terrorists as on date, in 2017.
Out of these 190, 80 are local terrorists and 110 foreign.
Out of these 110, 66 terrorists were killed near the Line of Control while infiltrating.
What we find this year is that we have killed approximately 125-130 terrorists in the hinterland of Kashmir Valley. This has resulted in a remarkable change in the situation,” he said during a joint press briefing.
In last ten years, this is the highest number of terrorists eliminated in one calendar year.
Lt Gen Sandhu lauded the joint efforts of J&K police, intelligence agencies, and the CRPF.
Sharing details about Saturday’s operation, he said: “Hajin was an area of concern for us. Militants had killed some people in the area.
Hajin was in the mid-1990s known as the hotbed to counter-insurgents who worked in association with the Army to break the backbone of terrorism. However, the area is now known as a bastion of LeT.
Timely tip-off resulted in major strike
Since September 2017 Indian army was keeping a close watch on the activities of militants moving in the area following killing of some local residents.
During routine cordon and search operations we inducted Special Forces into the area. Good information started pouring in. We were keeping Chandegeer village on our radar and immediately launched the operation after receiving a tip-off.
Dreaded LeT commanders Zargam and Mehmood Bhai were also eliminated by the joint team of security forces. One Indian Air Force Garud commando attained martyrdom while another Army jawan was injured in the gun battle in the built-up area.
The security forces had to deal with stone pelting masses at the encounter site.
The DGP termed the killing of the top commanders as “great success” for the security forces including the Army’s 13 Rashtriya Rifles, the J&K police’s counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG) and 45th Battalion of the Central Reserve Poli the e Force.
Due to concentration of foreign terrorists in North Kashmir area of Kupwara and Bandipore the security forces have now started concentrating in these belts ahead of the peak winter season.
“We look forward to continue the operations and restore peace in the Valley very soon,” the General added.
“We are working on two lines,” he added. “One is counter militancy and the second is that we want the local militants to return.
“We pulled out and saved an injured militant in Kulgam and saved his life. The local militants must realize whether they are ‘Mujahids’ (Islamic fighters) or proxies of Pakistan.”
No foot prints of ISIS in J&K
Funeral procession of Mugees Ahmed Mir in Parimpora area of Srinagar has created a fresh debate about the presence of ISIS cadre in Kashmir valley.
Mir was killed by the security forces in a shoot out in Zakura on the outskirts of Srinagar on Friday.
On Saturday his family placed an IS flag on his body before the funeral procession. Hundreds of people who assembled in the funeral shouted anti -National and Islamic slogans.
At the time of shoot out Mugees was wearing a blact T-Shirt with Islamic verses printed on it.
However, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police S.P. Vaid sunday refuted the claims of the Islamic State that claimed that the Zakura, Srinagar, attack on Friday in which a police officer and a militant were killed was the first IS attack in Kashmir.
Asked to comment, he said: “No, it is yet to be verified. I don’t think ISIS has any presence here.”
Kashmir range Inspector General of Police Muneer Khan also ruled out the presence of ISIS in Kashmir.
“I am ruling it out,” he said in reply to a query whether Mugees Ahmed Mir was affiliated with the ISIS.
“Tehreekul Mujahideen claimed him so wasn’t he a TeM man?” he said.
Local militants can return home safely: Police
After Majid Khan, a local footballer from Anantnag responded to the passionate appeals made by his mother on different social media platforms and on the mainstream media and returned home the local police and army officers have expressed hope that many more local boys would be willing to return home soon.
The senior officers claimed soon they would be asking the parents of missing children to make appeals through different media and convince their children to surrender before the security forces to join mainstream.
Inspector General of Police Kashmir range Muneer Khan said, “A large number of boys about to join militancy have been weaned away. With the surrender of footballer Majid Khan, we are entering a field where lot of local boys are willing to come back.
“Many boys willing to come back do not know the ways and means. We have opened helpline numbers so that contact can be established with us by those who want to come back”, said the top cop.
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