Three top Lashkar commanders killed in Sopore gunfight

Three slain Lashkar commanders were involved in 2 major attacks in Sopore: DGP Dilbagh Singh

Sopore: Three top Lashkar-e-Toiba commanders, including a foreigner were killed in an overnight gunfight in Sopore area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, police said Monday.A police official told that acting on a tip off, joint teams of police, army and CRPF laid a siege at Gund-Brath village of Sopore. “As soon as the joint teams of forces zeroed in on the suspected house, the hiding militants fired indiscriminately triggering an encounter,” the official said. “Firing continued throughout the night intermittently and with the first light, three militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved as well.”The official said that the slain trio were Lashkar commanders wanted for several cases, and were identified as Mudasir Pandith alias Muda of Dangerpora, Sopore, Asrar alias Abdullah from Pakistan, and Khurshid Ahmed Mir from Brath Kalan, Sopore. The official said that a solider was also injured in the encounter who was evacuated to base hospital where his condition is stated as stable.Defence Spokesman in Srinagar Lieutenant Colonel Emron Musavi told that the operation was launched based on police inputs. “Due retrain was exercised to avoid collateral damage. Three militants were killed and three AK’s and other war like stores recovered,” he said.A police spokesman in a statement said that during the intervening night of 20/21 June, acting on a specific information generated by Sopore Police about presence of militant in Gund-Brath area of Sopore, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Sopore Police, CRPF and 22RR.“During the search operation as the presence of militants got ascertained they were given an opportunity to surrender, however, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which was retaliated leading to an encounter. In the initial exchange of fire, an army solider sustained injury,” the police spokesman said. “As per police records, all the killed militants were part of group involved in various crimes and several cases were registered against them including attack at Municipal office Sopore on March 29in which two Municipal Councillors and one police personnel were killed. They were also involved in attack on police party of Police Station Sopore on June 12 at Main Chowk Sopore in which two police personnel and two civilians were killed and two more police personnel and two civilians were injured.”The police spokesman said that  Mudasir Pandit had a long history of crime cases including “attacks on Police/SFs and civilian atrocities.”  “Besides his involvement in above mentioned crimes, he was also involved in attack on Fruit Merchants at Dangerpora on September 06-2019 in which four civilians got injured. Moreover, he was also involved in killing of several ex-militants, Hurriyat activists, Sapanches/Panches in Sopore area. Khursheed Mir who was the part of this group was also involved in attack on CRPF at Lawaypora area of Srinagar on March 25-03, in which three CRPF personnel got killed,” the police spokesman said. “Foreign militant  Abdullah alias Asrar was active in North Kashmir since 2018 and remained the part of the group and several crime cases were also registered against him for his involvement in civilian atrocities and attacks on Police/ security forces.”The police spokesman said that arms, ammunition and other incriminating materials were recovered from the site of encounter. “In this connection police has registered a case under relevant sections of law and investigation has been initiated. People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared off of all the explosive materials, if any,” the police spokesman said adding that IGP Kashmir congratulated police and security forces for the major success and successful operation without any collateral damage.Jammu and Kashmir Police Monday said that all three militants killed an overnight operation at Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district were wanted commanders of Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit who had carried out “two major attacks in the area since March 29 this year.”Addressing a joint press conference at police control room (PCR) Srinagar, J&K’s Director General of Police (DGP)  Dilbagh Singh said that the Sopore operation was a very important operation for police and security forces. “The operation was jointly conducted by the police, army and the CRPF. IGP Kashmir and GoC (Kilo Force) were personally monitoring the operation,” the DGP said. “In the encounter, three wanted militant commanders were killed which is a big success for police and security forces.”The DGP said that all the three slain were top commanders of Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit—Mudasir Pandit, against whom there were 18 FIRs lodged in various police station, a foreigner Abdullah alias Asrar, who was working with Mudasir since long time and third one Khursheed Mir of Brath Kalan, Sopore, against whom there were six FIRs.“All three were involved in many militancy related incidents that includes killing of civilians, security forces personnel, former militants, Sarpanchs and Hurriyat/separatist leaders/activists in north Kashmir,” the DGP said. “The group was also involved in two major attacks in the Sopore area—first one on March 29 in which two Municipal Councillors and a policeman were killed and another one in which two policemen and two civilians were killed in main market Sopore on June 12.”Giving further details of the operation, the IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that the slain militants were hiding in a house whose son was also a militant. “I urge the family members of militants not to give shelter to active militants. Then they blame the police for misbehaving with them….The families of militants should refrain from providing food and shelter to active militants,” the IGP said. He said the three slain militant commanders were involved in two major attacks carried in the area in the past three months.“As you are aware, we had circulated posters displaying the images of all three wanted militant commanders. This helped us to track their movement. In this process, locals helped and cooperated with us as well,” the IGP claimed. He said that two things are destroying Kashmiri youth—indulging in narcotics and falling prey to indoctrination. “I urge parents to resort to parental control and see where their children spend days and in what activities their children are involved,” the IGP said.Present on the occasion, General officer Commanding of army’s Kilo Force, H S Sahi said that the Sopore operation was conducted in a built up area which is always a difficult thing. “We ensured that there is no collateral damage. A soldier received a bullet injury in his shoulder, who was evacuated to base hospital where his condition is stable,” he said.The GoC Kilo Force said that the primary focus of the army is to break the local-foreign militant nexus and to plug the recruitment to prevent further “bloodshed in Kashmir.” “I appeal to civil society and people of Kashmir to cooperate with us so that we break this network. Breaking this network is important to stop the cycle of valence,” he said. “I appeal to local militants to leave gun culture and join the mainstream. If they don’t they will meet the similar fate as that of slain in Sopore gunfight today.”