SRINAGAR: A Pakistani bomb-maker counted among Kashmir's 12 most-wanted terrorists was shot dead along with two other Jaish-e-Mohammad operatives in an encounter early Friday with security forces in Kulgam district. The killing of Waleed Adnan Bhai, alias Lambu, coincided with an Army alert about a terror plot to target Amarnath pilgrims “any time” after the scheduled commencement of the yatra on July 21.
Jaish-e-Mohammad commander Waleed is the second A++ terrorist in the police's 'dirty dozen' list to be killed after fellow Pakistani Usman Bhai, who was gunned down by security forces in Anantnag on July 11. Nicknamed Lambu for his lanky 6ft-plus frame, Waleed's other claim to infamy besides making IEDs and plotting terror attacks was as a Casanova preying on local women, intelligence sources said.
J&K DGP Dilbag Singh told reporters here that Waleed had escaped unscathed from at least three previous encounters with security forces, leaving behind a US-made rifle in one instance. "Based on a specific input, a joint team of J&K Police, the Army's 9 Rashtriya Rifles and the CRPF finally cornered him on Friday at Nagnad in the Chimmer area of Kulgam," he said.
Besides Waleed, two local Jaish recruits identified as Rouf Dar and Rayias Ahmad were killed while three Army personnel were injured in the gun battle. The injured soldiers are being treated at the base hospital.
Brig V S Thakur, sector commander of the 9 Rashtriya Rifles, said the terrorists were holed up in a house with civilians and the raid party ensured there was no collateral damage. "After our team cordoned off the hideout, one of the terrorists had tried to slip out along with the civilians. He hid his weapon under a pheran (traditional Kashmiri gown) but was found out and accosted by a soldier. There was a scuffle before he was shot dead. The slain terrorist turned out to be Waleed," he said.
A cache of arms and ammunition, include a US-made M4 carbine, an AK-47, five magazines, a few grenades and a launcher, was found in the hideout.
Brig Thakur said the slain militants were possibly involved in the killing of five migrant Bengali labourers on October 29 last year in Kulgam, around the time a delegation of the European Union was visiting the Valley. "They were also involved in the killing of four civilians on April 4 this year at Nandimarg, Kulgam."
Citing "credible intelligence inputs", Brig Thakur saiRead More – Source
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