SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Police have identified the slain militant in the Shopian encounter as Abdul Qayoom Dar son of Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Dar, a resident of Laroo Kakapora Pulwama. He was in a proscribed Lashkar outfit.
The police have issued the following statement detailing the operation:
“Based on a specific input generated by Police regarding the presence of terrorist in village Chermarg Zainapora area of Shopian, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police, 1stRR and 178Bn CRPF in the said area.
During the operation, a cluster of houses were taken into cordon and the process of evacuating civilians was initiated. During the process, as the search party started searching house belonging to Gowhar Ahmad Bhat, the house-owner intentionally misled the search party and denied sheltering the terrorist in his house. While questioning the said person, a terrorist hiding in his house opened fire on the search party resulting in grievous injuries to two Army Jawans. The fire was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter. The injured Jawans were immediately evacuated to hospital for treatment however; both of them succumbed to their injuries and attained martyrdom.
In the ensuing encounter, the hiding terrorist was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of encounter. He has been identified as Abdul Qayoom Dar son of Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Dar resident of Laroo Kakapora Pulwama and linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT.
As per police records, the killed terrorist had a history of terror crime cases as he was working as terrorist associate before joining terror ranks. It is pertinent to mention that his house was also being used as hideout for terrorists and in April-2020 an encounter took place in his house & subsequently he was booked under PSA. Post his release in August-2021, he continuously kept on working as an associate for active terrorists. Earlier this week, SSP Pulwama officially intimated that he had left house and joined terror folds of LeT outfit. Consequently, he was listed as “C” category terrorist.
IGP Kashmir and all ranks of Kashmir Zone Police pay rich tributes to martyr Army jawans, who made supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. We stand by their families at this critical juncture.
Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition including 01 AK-series rifle, 01 Pistol were recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation. In this regard, a case under relevant sections of law has been registered and investigation has been initiated.”
