In a major development, the nephew of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar, Mohammed Ismail Alvi alias Saifullah alias Lamboo was gunned down by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on July 31 (Saturday). After escaping seven encounters, Saifullah on Saturday ran out of his luck and was neutralised by the Indian Army and police.
The encounter holds special significance as he was one of the last remaining terrorists who was operating in Kashmir.
Lieutenant General DP Pandey, Chinar Corps Commander, on Saturday said that Lamboo was one of the masterminds of the Pulwama attack. He had trained Adil, who blew himself in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in 2019.
It may be recalled that Adil Ahmad Dar is the Jaish terrorist and the Pulwama’s suicide bomber who led a deadly attack leading to the killing of 40 CRPF men by ramming his car loaded with 100 kg of explosives into a CRPF bus on 14 February 2019.
Kin of JeM chief Masood Azhar trained Pulwama suicide-bomber Adil Ahmad Dhar
The Lt General explained how the killing of the dreaded terrorist has a 2-fold significance. “It brings closure to February 2019 Pulwama attacks in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed by Islamic terrorists. He was one of the masterminds for having trained a local, Adil, who blew himself up in an IED attack,” said Lt General Pandey in a joint briefing by Jammu and Kashmir Police and security forces.
DP Pandey also informed that Saifullah was tasked with the responsibility of brainwashing and recruiting youths into the terrorist outfit. Saifullah used to carry out selective identification and radicalise them before handing them weapons, confirmed the Lt General.
Meanwhile, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said: “Saifullah alias Lambu (killed today) was involved in many incidents. He had infiltrated into Kashmir valley in Jan 2017 and was active in South Kashmir. 14 FIRs against him. He was the main accused of the Pulwama attack of Feb 2019.”
“He was involved in conspiracy and planning of Lethpora Pulwama attack and figured in a charge sheet produced by the National Investigation Agency (NIA),” Kumar said.
Abu Saifullah is the seventh out of the 19 terrorists accused in the Pulwama blast, who have been neutralised by the Indian armed forces. Pertinently, seven other JeM terrorists, accused in the 2019 Pulwama attack have been arrested, while 5 still remain on the run, informed Kumar, adding that Lamboo was an IED expert and his elimination will reduce the IED threat in the valley.
Meanwhile, Indian Army Major General Rashim Bali called today’s encounter one of the biggest operations of the year. He said that a Chinese pistol and an AK-47 was recovered from Saifullah.
