Srinagar

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday said the militant killed in a gunfight with the security forces in a gunfight in Awantipora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district was affiliated with Lashkar Toiba outfit.

A police spokesman in a statement said, “On a credible input, a cordon and search operation was launched in Kawni and Brawbhandina area of Police District Awantipora today.”

“During the search operation, the hiding militant fired on the search party. The fire was retaliated leading to an encounter,” he said.

“In the ensuing encounter, one militant was killed and the body was retrieved from the site of encounter. The killed militant has been identified as Ufaid Farooq Lone @Abu Muslim resident of Awantipora,” he said.

“The killed militant as per police records was affiliated with proscribed outfit LeT and was wanted by law for his complicity in crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities,” he added.

“According to the Police records, Ufaid Farooq Lone had a history of crime records since 2018 and was involved in planning and executing several attacks and civilian atrocities in the area. As per the police records, he had been carrying out militant activities in the areas of Awantipora across the belts of river Jehlum in the areas of Reshipora and in the nearby areas of Malanpora,” said the spokesman.

“Several crime cases were registered against him including Case FIR No. 38/2019 pertaining to grenade attack on security forces, Case FIR No. 54/2019 pertaining to grenade attack on police station Awantipora, Case FIR No. 122/2019 pertaining to civilian atrocities, threatening, intimidation and beating of locals at Padagampora besides enforcing shutdown of business establishments and forcible suspension of transport facilities in the area,” he said.

“He was also responsible for motivating the locals from the areas of Brawbhandina to join the terror fold recently thereby strengthening the terror networks in the area,” he added.

“Incriminating material including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror crimes. Searches in the area continue,” said the spokesman .

“People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials if any,” said police spokesman in a statement.

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