Four terrorists, including a Pakistani commander of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), were killed and another was arrested during three separate encounters with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Saturday. The encounters took place in Pulwama, Ganderbal and Kupwara districts of Kashmir Valley, a police spokesman said.

In Pulwama, acting on specific information regarding the presence of terrorists in village Chewaklan, a cordon and search operation was launched by security forces, the spokesman said. As the search party moved towards local Darul Uloom Islamic seminary, terrorists hiding inside fired indiscriminately upon the search party in which one civilian suffered gunshot injuries.

The injured civilian was identified as Zahoor Ahmad Shergojri, a resident of Chewklan. He was taken to a hospital where his condition was stated to be stable. The security forces retaliated the fire leading to an encounter, the spokesman said.

“Keeping the sanctity of the institution in mind, the operation was carried out with all due precautions and deliberations. In the ensuing encounter, two terrorists were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of the encounter, he said. The slain terrorists were identified as Pakistani terrorist commander Kamaal Bhai alias Jatt and Aqib Mushtaq alias Usman Hyder, a resident of Karimabad in Pulwama. The duo were affiliated with the proscribed terror outfit JeM, the spokesman said.

During another anti-terrorist operation carried out in village Wahibugh of the district, security forces arrested an active terrorist, Rouf Ahmad Mir of Parigam in Pulwama, the spokesman said. Incriminating material, arms and ammunition, including a pistol, two magazines, 26 rounds and three grenades, were recovered from his possession, he said.

The spokesman said security forces launched two more operations in village Nechama Rajwar of Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district and in Serch area of Ganderbal in central Kashmir, following specific information about the presence of terrorists. As the joint search parties approached towards suspected spots, the hiding terrorists started firing indiscriminately on the search parties which was retaliated leading to encounters at both the places, he said.

In the ensuing encounters, one terrorist each, affiliated with the proscribed terror outfit LeT, were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the sites, the spokesman said. The slain terrorist at the Handwara encounter site has been identified as Suhail Ahmad Ganie, a resident of Terigam in Kulgam, while the one killed in Ganderbal has been identified as Adil Ahmad Khan, a resident of Badarkund Ganderbal. “As per police records, the killed terrorists were categorized terrorists and part of a group involved in several terror crime cases, including attacks on police/security forces and civilian atrocities. The killed Pakistani terrorist Kamaal Bhai was active since 2018 in Shopian-Pulwama areas.

Terrorist Adil Khan killed in Ganderbal was involved in attack on a BJP district vice president in October 2020, civilian killings in Srinagar, besides facilitating grenade attack at Towheed Chowk and Chappargund, Ganderbal. He was also involved in motivating youth to join terror folds, the spokesman said. Inspector General of Police of Kashmir Vijay Kumar termed the killing of the wanted Pakistani terrorist a big success and complimented the forces for conducting successful anti-terrorist operations without any collateral damage.

He exhorted officers to speed up anti-terrorist operations so as to make the valley terror-free.