Top Jaish commander among 5 killed in J&K encounters

2 operations were launched during the night at Charareshrif in district Budgam and at Naira in district Pulwama. Both have concluded with killing of 01 terrorist in Budgam and 4 in Pulwama including two top JEM Commanders Zahid Wani and an Foreign terrorist from Pakistan.

— J&K Police (@JmuKmrPolice) January 30, 2022

He was killed in an encounter with the joint forces in Pulwama along with three others, including Inayat Ahmad Mir, son of the owner of the house, where the militants were hiding, the police said.

While the police said Inayat was a “hybrid militant”, his family claimed he was innocent and have demanded the return of his body.

“His (Inayat’s) maternal grandmother passed away two days ago and he along with his other family members was at their house for the past two days,” said one of his relatives. “At their home, there were only two sisters – one of them pregnant. On Saturday afternoon, Inayat’s father sent him home to feed the cattle. We have no idea how he was killed. He is innocent and had nothing to do with militancy.” The relative said the police took away Inayat’s elder brother Naveed Ahmad Mir with them on Sunday morning.

Addressing reporters on Sunday, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said Inayat was a “hybrid militant”. He said the police will also book his father under the anti-terror laws for “providing shelter” to the militants. In an official release, the police said Inayat “joined the terror fold recently”.

In the evening, police retweeted a video purportedly of Inayat’s sister in which she says that three men came inside and that their brother refused to come out after the police and paramilitary cordoned the house.
The police said on Saturday evening, a joint team of Police, Army and paramilitary forces cordoned off Naira village in Pulwama after inputs about the presence of militants in the village.

“While laying down the cordon of the spot, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately on the joint search parties,” the police said in an official release. “After evacuation of the civilians to safer places, the fire was retaliated leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, four terrorists were killed.”

Apart from Zahid Wani and Inayat, others killed in the encounter were identified as Pakistani national Kafeel Bhai and Waleed Ahmad Reshi. The police said all four belonged to the JeM.

According to the police, Wani, an IED expert, was a top Jaish commander in south Kashmir. IGP Kumar termed the killing of Wani as a big success.

The police claimed to recovered two AK series rifles, a M4 carbine and two pistols from the killed militants.

In a separate gunfight in Budgam, a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant was killed in an overnight gunfight.

The police said that on Saturday night, a joint team of police, Army and paramilitary forces cordoned off Chrar-e-Sharief village of Budgam after inputs about the presence of militants.

“As the joint search parties were approaching towards suspected spot, the hiding terrorist started firing indiscriminately on the search parties which was retaliated leading to an encounter,” the police said. “In the ensuing encounter, the hiding terrorist, identified as Bilal Ahmad Khan, was killed.”

The police said an AK-56 rifle was recovered from the militant.

On Saturday evening, suspected militants shot dead a policeman outside his residence at Hassanpora village of Bijbehara in South Kashmir. The police said the policeman was a head constable and was posted in neighbouring Kulgam district.