On Nov 8,
Shoukat ahmad Lone @ Bilal Lone r/o Lelhara, Kakpora was behind the striking in the garrison township of Awantipore on the Srinagar-Jammu highway, militants on Thursday evening shot dead two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.
Accarding to The Hindu that two gunmen carrying AK-47 rifles fired at two constables of the CRPF 130th battalion close to a revered saint’s shrine at Awantipore, 25 km from Srinagar, at 6 p.m.
The constables, Pradeep Ganna of Odisha and Mahesh Kumar of Maharashtra, died on the spot.
Senior officials rushed to the spot and launched a search operation. The officials were surprised that the attack had taken place near the battalion headquarters and the CRPF Deputy Inspector General’s office. Mr. Mir said the police got certain clues which indicated that a group of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) cadres had carried out the operation.
An operation has been launched to trace Irshad Ahmad Ganai and other members of the group, identified as Showkat Tak, r/o Punzgam, Pulwma distriect. Sajjad Ahmad of Aripora (Pantha Chowk ) and Showkat Ahmad Lone @Bilal Lone of Lelhara. The DIG said the same group of militants had shot dead a soldier last year, taken away his gun and left another soldier injured at Pampore. Irshad Ahmed Ganai was allegedly involved in killing eight Army soldiers in a daring attack at Hyderpora on the eve of the Prime Minister’s visit in June. Bilal of lelhara ,Sajad Bhat from Aripora (Sempora), Irshad Ganai from Awantipora, Qasim according to the police, had shot dead a India's noted cardiologist (
Dr Sheikh JALAL sahib ) and two of his personal security officers at
Pampore earlier this year.
Superintendent of Police Mohammad Irshad, who led the operation with senior Army and CRPF officials,
confirmed the militant’s death and told The Hindu that Omar was the man
who had shot dead Station House Office (SHO) of Chadoura, Sub-Inspector
Shabir Ahmad, inside a shop in Chadoura township on December 2, 2013. He
said that Omar was one of the most wanted militants of Budgam-Pulwama
belt who had planned and executed a number of guerrilla strikes and
played key role in reviving militancy in that area.
On Apri 13 : Two terrorists were killed Sunday in an encounter with army in
Pampore town of south Kashmir after they attacked the house of a ruling National Conference’s youth leader killing two policemen.
Two youths clad in ‘pheran’ appeared outside the residence of NC leader Yawar Massodi in Khrew area of Pampore town around 2:50 pm when a party meeting was going on to discuss the visit of Minister for Urban Development and Panchayat Raj Ali Mohammad Sagar to the area on Monday, officials said.
The youths took out their assault rifles and fired indiscriminately at a policeman when he tried to frisk them at the entrance of the house. The militants then barged into the compound of the house and opened fire at another cop injuring him critically.
The militants fled from the spot with the rifle of the cops, who were lying on the ground in a pool of blood. The injured cops were removed to the primary health centre (PHC) Khrew by police, where the doctors declared them brought dead. The slain cops have been identified as Head Constable
Abdul Hamid and Constable Vinod Kumar.
“The policemen were brought dead to the hospital. One of the cops had died of gunshots in head, while the other had multiple gunfire injuries in abdomen and chest,” Block Medical Officer (BMO) Pampore,
Dr Bilqees, told Kashmir Reader.
The gunshots trigged panic among scores of NC workers who had converged at Massodi’s residence. Massodi, organizer of the NC’s youth wing in south Kashmir, is the son of the
J&K High Court Judge Hasnain Massodi.
Reports said
Yawar Masoodi, who appeared to be the target of militants, escaped from the rear exit of his home and was safe.
Soon after the shootout,
Special Operation Group (SOG) of police and army’s 50 RR rushed to the spot. The joint team cornered the militants in the neighboring
Andrusa village. However, the militants opened fire upon the search team in a bid to break the cordon. In the exchange of fire, both militants were killed.
Militant outfit
Shuhada Brigade (the off shoot of L&T/ claimed responsibility for the attack, according to local news agencies.
Meanwhile, a police spokesman in a handout said that two AK 47 rifles and the snatched SLR rifle were also recovered from the encounter site. The slain militants have been identified as
Abdullah Gori and
Abu Zarr of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, according to a police official.
Sources in the police told Kashmir daily handout that a Maruti car in which suspected militants were travelling in Awantipora was recovered from Sangam area on Saturday night. The cops, who had prior information about the militants’ movement, had opened warning shots to halt the car.
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