Two anti-militancy operations underway in Bandipora and Poonch
Srinagar Encounter Marks First Since September 2022
Suhail Khan
Srinagar, Nov 2: A top commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and two other militants were killed while two paramilitary personnel and two policemen were injured in two separate gunfights in the Kashmir region on Saturday.
An official told Kashmir Despatch that Usman Bhai, a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, was among three militants killed in two encounters in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district and Central Kashmir’s Srinagar district.
The official stated that the first encounter of the day broke out between militants and security forces in Srinagar’s old city. This encounter— the first in Srinagar in over two years— commenced when joint teams of forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in the Khaniyar area of the city.
Officials reported that during the day-long anti-militancy operation, one militant was killed, and four security personnel were injured.
The last gunbattle in Srinagar took place on September 20, 2022, in the Nowgam area, where two local militants from Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH) were killed.
Inspector General of Police Kashmir, Vidhi Kumar Birdi, told Kashmir Despatch that the most wanted LeT commander, Usman Bhai, was killed in a daylong firefight in Khanyar. Usman was wanted in numerous militancy-related cases, including the killing of non-locals and security forces. He was also involved in the murder of Inspector Manzoor, the officer added.
In another encounter, two militants were killed in Anantnag district. This encounter began in the Larnoo area of Anantnag when joint teams of forces launched an operation after receiving specific intelligence about the presence of militants in the area. The operation is still ongoing.
The Army reported that the operation was initiated based on specific input. “Based on specific input, a joint operation was launched by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and CRPF in the general area of Halkan Gali, Anantnag. On November 2, 2024, suspicious movement near Halkan Gali was observed and challenged by vigilant troops; as a result, terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on their own column. Our troops effectively retaliated, resulting in the elimination of two terrorists. The operation is in progress,” the Army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Corps stated in a post on X.
Meanwhile, a massive search operation is underway in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, where an exchange of fire occurred late Friday. The Army reported that late Friday evening, suspicious movement was spotted in the Panar area of Bandipora, and when the militants were challenged, they opened indiscriminate fire and escaped into the jungle. A search operation is currently underway.
“On November 1, 2024, late evening, suspicious movement was spotted in the general area of Panar in Bandipora by alert troops. Upon being challenged, terrorists opened indiscriminate fire and escaped into the jungle. The search operation is ongoing,” the Army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Corps stated in a post on X.
The exchange of fire in Bandipora occurred just hours after militants shot and injured two migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Friday evening.
In another anti-militancy operation, an intensive search operation is underway in the Mendhar area of Poonch district.
Pertinently, October has proven to be a tragic month in Kashmir’s recent history, recording nine civilian deaths due to terror violence. This includes the killings of seven non-local laborers, an army soldier, and a doctor in multiple attacks, signaling a resurgence of violence in the region.
These attacks took place shortly after the first assembly elections in over a decade, marking a significant political shift since the revocation of Jammu & Kashmir’s special status under Article 370. The National Conference-Congress coalition emerged victorious in the election, with Omar Abdullah resuming his role as Chief Minister.
Security analysts believe that the increase in terrorist activities in Kashmir, especially following a shift of focus from the Valley to the Jammu region, indicates a maneuver by Pakistan to disrupt peace in the Union Territory.
In response to the rising threat, Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has directed the police to perform a security assessment of ongoing infrastructure projects. This includes the establishment of continuous checkpoints at critical sites, an increase in nighttime patrols, and the implementation of a comprehensive security and intelligence strategy through collaborative operations with the army and other security forces to combat terrorism effectively.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, while reacting to the recent terror attacks in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, said that compared to the number of terrorist incidents that used to occur in the UT in the past, the incidents have now reduced considerably.
He stated that the security forces are fully alert in the region and that measures will be taken to create a situation where terrorism is completely eradicated. He added that rapid development is also taking place in Jammu and Kashmir.
Singh made these remarks as the chief guest at the 65th Foundation Day of IIT Kanpur, in response to questions from journalists.
Earlier in the day, Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference President Farooq Abdullah called out for an independent investigation into the recent spurt in terror activities across the erstwhile state to find out if there’s any conspiracy to destabilise the newly-elected government.
He further triggered a row by suggesting that terrorists should be captured and not killed and be interrogated to uncover the masterminds behind the attack.
