india

Updated: Aug 03, 2019 12:44 IST

Two Jaish-e-Mohammed militants have been eliminated in an encounter in south Kashmir, kilometres away from the spot where four policemen were shot dead in an attack anchored by him. The encounter in Shopian’s Pandushan has been on for more than 24 hours.

A security official said Zeenat ul Islam Naikoo had been neutralised. The second militant is yet to be identified. The successful operation, however, came at a heavy cost. A soldier, Sepoy Rambir Singh of 34 Rashtriya Rifles, made the supreme sacrifice.

Zeenat Naikoo is being described as the most important local militant of Jaish-e -Mohammad in Shopian, the terror group that has been prepping to scale up activities in Kashmir valley over the last few weeks. Zeenat Naikoo played the role of local anchor to the Jaish foreign terrorists who crossed over from Pakistan.

Intelligence reports indicate that Jaish chief Masood Azhar’s brother, Ibrahim Azhar intends to come to the Kashmir valley to lead attacks on targets in the valley to avenge the death of his son. Ibrahim Azhar is reported to have attempted to fire up the cadre, telling them that he wanted to die fighting Indian security forces in Kashmir, the same way his son had.

He played the role of local anchor to the Jaish FTs. He was involved in various incidents of violence including cop killing and firing and grenade lobbing on PS SHOPIAN and Gagren Camp.

A senior official said Zeenat Naikoo played a key role in the deadly attack on policemen escorting a deputy superintendent of police in Shopian last August. The attack was carried out hours after security forces killed a top commander of Hizbul Mujahedeen Altaf Ahmad Dar

“He was part of groups involved in planning and executing series of terror attacks in the area and many other civilian atrocities. Zeenat has a long history of terror crime records and several terror crime cases were registered against him,” a Jammu and Kashmir police spokesman said.

Just as security forces were wrapping up this encounter, another one started about 100 km away in north Kashmir’s Sopore area of Baramulla. Officials said army and police launched the operation after forces received an input that some operatives were hiding in Warpora village. An army jawan who hailed from this village was shot dead when he went home on leave in April this year.