Security forces neutralised two terrorists in an encounter in Rebban area of Zainapora in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district on Sunday. The bodies of the terrorists have been recovered from the site of the encounter. The deceased have been identified as Nawaz Wagay of Zainpora Shopian and Yawar Wani of Litter Pulwama. Both the terrorists were associated with terror outfit Al-Badr.
A police spokesman said that based on inputs, a cordon and search operation was launched by police and security forces in Rebban area. Militants fired at the search team, which retaliated. “In the ensuing encounter, two terrorists were killed,” he added.
As search operation was going on, search party was fired upon by the hiding terrorists. The fire was retaliated leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, 2 terrorists were killed&bodies were retrieved from site of encounter. Identities are being ascertained: J&K Police
— ANI (@ANI) November 18, 2018
Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation in the matter.
The encounter comes a day after two teenagers were killed by suspected militants after their abduction in the district since Thursday۔
On November 2, police had apprehended a member of the same terror outfit, identified as, Sajjad Ahmad Dhar, a resident of Rohumu in Pulwama district, in Handwara town of Kupwara district.
This terrorist outfit seems to be undergoing a massive revival on the terror map of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan-based Al-Badr terrorist outfit, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States, was formed in June 1998 with the professed goal of strengthening the ‘Kashmiri freedom struggle’ and to ‘liberate’ the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir and merge it with Pakistan.
Though a significant number of terror attacks have been reported in a while, the number of counter-attacks are also in the rise. The Indian Army is working painstakingly along with the intelligence agencies, trying to stifle cross-border terrorism.
A massive operation was launched last year, in the wake of an increase in terrorist activities in South Kashmir. Named ‘Operation Clean Up’, it was the biggest operation undertaken since the 1990s, in the troubled Kashmir valley, to flush out the terrorists. Around 4000 troops of Army, CRPF personnel and Jammu & Kashmir police participated in this massive operation, which involved a door-to-door search operation.
Over 100 terrorists are reported to have been killed this year as of now. This is against 150 in the whole of 2016. 80 terrorists were killed in the corresponding period of 2016. Of the 100 terrorists killed as of now this year, 33 belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba and 23 belonged to Hizbul-Mujahideen.
The improvement in casualty figures of terrorists is largely to do with Indian Amry’s strategy to actively engage with the terrorists in a seamless coordination with para-military forces, intelligence agencies and state police with a full backing of the central government. The government has given a free hand to the Army to take stern actions against those who are spreading terror and vitiating the atmosphere in the Valley.
