Srinagar, Dec 19 (IANS): The longest surviving terrorist of the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) outfit was among the 5 terrorists killed on Thursday in a fierce gunfight with the joint security forces in J&K’s Kulgam district, officials said.
“Farooq Nali, the longest surviving HM terrorist, was killed today along with four others of the same outfit in a fierce encounter with the joint forces in Kadder village of Behibagh area in Kulgam district. The other four slain terrorists have been identified as Mushtaq Itoo, Irfan Lone, Adil Hajam, and Yasir Javed Bhat. Five AK-47 rifles have been recovered from the slain terrorists," an official said.
This is the largest number of terrorists killed in a single operation by the security forces in J&K in 2024.
"Joint forces including 34 Rashtriya Rifles, police, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) started a CASO (Cordon & Search Operation) in Kadder village after receiving information about a group of terrorists hiding inside the village. As the joint forces closed on the hiding terrorists, the terrorists fired triggering an encounter in which five terrorists were killed and two soldiers injured," the official said.
Security forces say that the killing of five terrorists in Kulgam is a major success for the joint forces in their relentless pursuit to dismantle the terror ecosystem in J&K.
Security forces have started an aggressive campaign against terrorists, their over-ground workers (OGWs), and sympathisers in order to dismantle the terror ecosystem,
Properties worth multiples of crores belonging to drug smugglers and peddlers have been attached in Kashmir Valley after obtaining requisite orders from the competent authority.
Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha has been chairing high-level security meetings and has given clear orders to the security forces to go all-out against the terror ecosystem.
Union Home Minister, Amit Shah is chairing a top-level security review meeting regarding J&K in Delhi on Thursday. Chiefs of intelligence agencies, police, CAPFs and others connected with the anti-terrorist grid in J&K will attend the meeting.
Security forces revised their strategy after terrorists carried out some dastardly attacks in the aftermath of peaceful people-participative Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in J&K.
These elections were witnessed by diplomats of many countries and this, according to intelligence agencies, has frustrated the terror handlers sitting across the border in Pakistan.
Intelligence inputs indicate that the terror handlers have given directions to terrorists in J&K to give the dying terrorism its last push.
Heightened vigilance is also being maintained at the border in J&K following reports that terrorists are waiting at the launching pads to sneak into the Indian side of the border before the mountain passes are closed by this season’s snowfall.