LeT commander killed, 4 security personnel injured in Khanyar encounter: IGP Kashmir

Srinagar, Nov 2: A foreign terrorist was killed while four security personnel were injured in a gunfight with Police and security forces in the Khanyar area of Srinagar downtown on Saturday.

The four security personnel injured in the gunfight include two from CRPF and two from J&K Police’s Special Operation Group (SOG).

The injured security personnel were admitted at Army Hospital Badami Bagh Cantonment, Srinagar.

The condition of all the injured is stable.

The operation lasted for around 12 hours following the Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) laid by the security forces in the Khanyar area during the wee hours of Saturday.

The CASO was launched in the area at around 4 am and the operation concluded at around 4 pm after which security forces were withdrawn from the area.

During the operation, the residential house in which the foreign terrorist was hiding was completely damaged.

Briefing about the operation, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Vidhi Kumar Birdi said that J&K Police and Quick Response Team (QRT) of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Special Operations Group (SOG) received the information about the movement of terrorists in Kanyar area.

“When the CASO was launched in the area, security forces passed by the house and were shot from inside,” the IGP Kashmir said.

He said that an operation started after the security forces fired back.

The IGP said that the encounter commenced in early morning and was completed in late evening.

“A foreign terrorist was killed by the security forces. He has been identified as Usman Lashkari, who was a member of the Lashkar-e-Toiba,” he said.

The IGP Kashmir said that a lot of explosives and arms ammunition were recovered from his body.

“The terrorist who has been killed was active here for many months. He was involved in an incident wherein he attacked J&K Police Inspector Masroor Wani in Eidgah,” he said.

J&K Police inspector Masroor Ahmad Wani was shot at by militants while playing cricket at Eidgah on October 29, 2023, leaving him critically injured.

He died at AIIMS, New Delhi on December 7, 2023.

The IGP Kashmir termed the Khanyar encounter as a “developed operation” saying that the classification of the incident was based on the security forces involved.

“It is a developed operation and the classification should be seen in that way. The security forces are very strong and dismantle the terror echo system here,” he said.

The IGP Kashmir said that the security agencies keep on receiving inputs about the presence or movement of terrorists.

“The Khanyar operation which resulted in the killing of a foreign terrorist is a significant achievement for security forces,” he said.

Meanwhile, a top security official said that security was tightened across Kashmir following back-to-back attacks across the Valley.

“The incidents are on the rise and some non-locals were targeted during the past few months. We have intensified the security measures and are ready to tackle any situation,” the official said.

He said that the body of a foreign terrorist killed in the Khanyar encounter was taken to north Kashmir after completing medico-legal formalities.

“The body will be buried in north Kashmir,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the IGP Kashmir visited the injured security personnel from J&K Police and CRPF.

During his visit, the IGP inquired about their well-being while acknowledging their vital contributions to maintaining peace and security in the region.

The IGP assured the injured personnel of full support throughout their recovery process.