Kulgam encounter: 1 more terrorist killed, toll reaches 3: IGP Kashmir

Srinagar, May 08: One more terrorist was killed in Redwani Kulgam anti-terror operation, taking the toll to three.

“One more terrorist has been killed and joint parties are carrying out searches in the area,” Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vidhi Kumar Birdi told Greater Kashmir.

“Body is being retrieved and his identification will be ascertained.”

An official said that the third terrorist killed in the encounter has been identified
as Momin Gulzar Mir, son of Gulzar Ahmad Mir of Firdous Colony, Eidgah, Srinagar.

The fresh encounter erupted Wednesday late afternoon after joint parties of Police and Army came under fire during the searches in the area.

As soon as the encounter started afresh, Police posted on X, “Operation at #Kulgam resumed, fresh firing started. #Operation in progress.@JmuKmrPolice.” On Tuesday, two terrorists including the operational commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba offshoot – The Resistance Front, Basit Dar along with hybrid terrorists were killed in the night-long encounter.

The encounter broke out in Redwani Payeen area of Kulgam Monday evening after 1 Rashtriya Rifles of the Army, J&K Police, and paramilitary CRPF cordoned off the area on specific inputs of the presence of terrorists in the area.

Soon after the cordon was established, terrorists opened fire at the joint parties and tried to escape from the area.

However, the fire was retaliated, forcing the terrorists to take positions in a residential house.
On Tuesday morning, the operation resumed and in the afternoon the bodies of two terrorists were recovered.

One among them was identified as Basit Dar, the operational commander of Lashker-e-Toiba offshoot TRF while the identity of another is being ascertained.

Basit Dar, active since April 2021, was one of the most wanted terrorists by J&K Police and National Investigation Agency (NIA) who announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for
informing about his whereabouts.

According to Police, Dar was involved in scores of terror crimes including targeted killing in Srinagar and other places of Kashmir.