India
Kashmiri Pandit: Kashmiri Pandit assassin among 2 terrorists, one soldier killed in Pulwama shootout | India News
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SRINAGAR: The killer of a Kashmiri Pandit man was among two terrorists shot dead around 1am Tuesday in an operation lasting several hours at a village mosque in Awantipora of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district that also left a soldier of 55 Rashtriya Rifles killed and one of his colleagues wounded, J&K police said.
According to a military statement, Sepoy Pawan Kumar died of multiple bullet wounds following a “hand-to-hand combat” with one of the terrorists whom he overpowered and killed.
He is survived by his mother Bhajun Dassi. His last rites will be done at his native Pithyt village in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh with full military honours.
Additional DGP Vijay Kumar said the slain terrorists were Aqib Mushtaq of Pulwama, who was responsible for bank guard Sharma’s murder this Sunday, and his associate Ajaz Ahmad Bhat of Tral in south Kashmir. “Killer of late Sanjay Sharma neutralised,” J&K police claimed in a tweet.
Naik Hemraj was wounded in the gunfight at Padgampora village of Awantipora, 20km north of Achan in the same district where Sharma was killed when he was out buying groceries. He was quickly shifted to 92 Base Hospital, Srinagar, for treatment.
The gunfight broke out after a combined team of Army, CRPF and J&K police surrounded the mosque late Monday following information that terrorists were holed up there.
“Security forces exercised extreme caution and limited firepower was used to ensure there was no damage to the mosque. Civilians were evacuated beforehand to prevent collateral damage,” Kumar said. Photos from the site later showed no substantial harm caused to the shrine, other than bullet-riddled window panes.
The officer said the other terrorist had escaped to an adjacent building and hid in a bathroom. “Fourteen civilians were safely removed from the place before he was shot dead,” he said.
Two AK-series rifles, a pistol, two grenades, seven magazines, and two Aadhaar cards were found on the two terrorists.
Aqib was believed to be with Hizbul Mujahideen since 2021 before he shifted to The Resistance Force, an offshoot of the Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba. Ajaz became an active member of Jaish-e-Mohammed last year and was working for Hizbul and LeT as well, police claimed.
According to a military statement, Sepoy Pawan Kumar died of multiple bullet wounds following a “hand-to-hand combat” with one of the terrorists whom he overpowered and killed.
He is survived by his mother Bhajun Dassi. His last rites will be done at his native Pithyt village in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh with full military honours.
Additional DGP Vijay Kumar said the slain terrorists were Aqib Mushtaq of Pulwama, who was responsible for bank guard Sharma’s murder this Sunday, and his associate Ajaz Ahmad Bhat of Tral in south Kashmir. “Killer of late Sanjay Sharma neutralised,” J&K police claimed in a tweet.
Naik Hemraj was wounded in the gunfight at Padgampora village of Awantipora, 20km north of Achan in the same district where Sharma was killed when he was out buying groceries. He was quickly shifted to 92 Base Hospital, Srinagar, for treatment.
The gunfight broke out after a combined team of Army, CRPF and J&K police surrounded the mosque late Monday following information that terrorists were holed up there.
“Security forces exercised extreme caution and limited firepower was used to ensure there was no damage to the mosque. Civilians were evacuated beforehand to prevent collateral damage,” Kumar said. Photos from the site later showed no substantial harm caused to the shrine, other than bullet-riddled window panes.
The officer said the other terrorist had escaped to an adjacent building and hid in a bathroom. “Fourteen civilians were safely removed from the place before he was shot dead,” he said.
Two AK-series rifles, a pistol, two grenades, seven magazines, and two Aadhaar cards were found on the two terrorists.
Aqib was believed to be with Hizbul Mujahideen since 2021 before he shifted to The Resistance Force, an offshoot of the Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba. Ajaz became an active member of Jaish-e-Mohammed last year and was working for Hizbul and LeT as well, police claimed.
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