Hummingbird News Desk
NEW DELHI, 13 OCT: A top Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) militant commander in Tral area of Pulwama district in south Kashmir, who was mastermind in killing civilians, was killed by security forces on Wednesday.
Police identified the slain JeM militant as Shamus-ud-Din Sofi alias Sham Sofi, a resident of Satura Tral in Pulwama district. The police said that he had been active since 2019 and had been involved in several militancy related crimes.
Police said on a specific input generated by Awantipora police regarding presence of terrorists in Tilwani Mohalla Waggad area of Tral, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by police, army, and the CRPF in the said area.
“During the search operation, as the presence of terrorists was ascertained, they were given repeated opportunities to surrender; instead they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, one terrorist was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of encounter,” a police officer said.
“Encounter has started at Tilwani Mohalla Waggad in the Tral area of Awantipora. Police & Security Forces are on the job. Further details shall follow. @JmuKmrPolice,” Kashmir Zone Police tweeted soon after the encounter broke.
After about hour-long gun-battle, the police said that the militant was killed. “Tral Encounter Update: 01 unidentified terrorist killed. Operation going on. Further details shall follow. @JmuKmrPolice,” police said in another tweet.
Police later identified him as Sham Sofi through yet another tweet, which read as “Top JeM Commander terrorist Sham Sofi killed in Tral encounter: IGP Kashmir @JmuKmrPolice.”
Police said as per its records the killed terrorist was categorised and active since June 2019, figuring among the list of most wanted terrorists operating in the Kashmir Valley. He was also part of groups involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities to which several terror crime cases stands already registered against him.
“Pertinently, the killed terrorist was first arrested in year 2004 and detained under PSA. He was also involved in providing logistic support, and shelter to the active terrorists operating in Tral area before joining the terror fold. Moreover, he was also involved in motivating local youth to join the terror fold, reviving the terror folds in Tral area and conspiring to destabilise the system by means of various terror acts. Besides, he was also involved in threatening the law-abiding citizens and policemen also,” police said.
Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were also recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation.
Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar has congratulated the joint forces for the big success that led to the elimination of most wanted terrorist involved in several terror crime cases.
Tags: #JeMterrorist #ShamSofi #Pulwama #IndianArmy #SecurityForces #JKPolice #TerroristHunt #NoTerrorism #Kashmir
