In Kulgam district of south Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir police reported the elimination of a third militant on Thursday, stemming from an encounter initiated on Monday night.
“A third insurgent has been neutralized in the Kulgam encounter. Identity confirmation is underway. More details to follow,” stated a spokesperson for the Jammu and Kashmir Police on X. As of Wednesday, authorities confirmed the demise of two militants, including a prominent commander of the TRF group, during the overnight clash in the Redwani Payeen region of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district. The police spokesperson verified the retrieval of the militants’ bodies during the counterinsurgency operation.
“The bodies of two insurgents involved in the anti-terrorist operation have been recovered thus far. Verification of identity and affiliation is ongoing. Operation still underway. Further updates pending,” conveyed the spokesperson in a statement on X.
IGP Kashmir VK Birdi identified one of the deceased as Basit Dar, a local resident of Redwani Kulgam and a senior commander of the TRF faction, a splinter group of the Lashkar-e-Toiba. Birdi mentioned that Dar had been active since 2021 and implicated in at least 18 cases, including attacks on civilians and law enforcement personnel in Srinagar.
Previously, the spokesperson had announced the commencement of the encounter in the Redwani Payeen area of Kulgam district on X. “Both police and security forces are actively involved in the operation,” emphasized the spokesperson.
While disclosing the initiation of the encounter in the Redwani Payeen vicinity of Kulgam district, the police spokesperson underscored the active involvement of law enforcement and security personnel, with additional details anticipated.
This development unfolds amidst heightened violence in the region, with the casualty count escalating in insurgency-related episodes. According to police statistics, seven civilians, one security forces member, and six militants have lost their lives in 12 such incidents across Jammu and Kashmir thus far in 2024.
In another counter-militancy operation in Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir Police seized properties belonging to seven militant facilitators based in Pakistan, valued at lakhs, in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. A police spokesperson indicated that the properties were confiscated under relevant legal provisions and linked to case FIR No.04/2008 u/s 2/3 EIMCO Act, 121 RPC,7/25 IA Act, 13 UA (P) Act of PS Kreeri.
“The identification of these properties as belonging to terror facilitators was made during the course of police investigation/enquiry. This operation underscores the Police’s resolve to counter terrorist activities,” added the police spokesperson.