Security forces kill JeM commander Sajjad Afghani, another militant in J-K’s Shopian

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 15

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday said that top commander of Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) Sajad Afghani had been killed in an encounter at Rawalpora area of Shopian district in south Kashmir.

J-K DGP Dilbag Singh told the media that Afghani, who was instrumental in recruiting terrorists, had been killed in the encounter that entered its third day on Monday.

Besides Afghani, the other terrorist killed in the encounter has been identified as Lashkar-affiliated Jahangir Ahmad Wani from Rakh Narapora.

In message to the joint force of J&K Police, Army’s 34 Rastriya Rifles and the CRPF, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar congratulated them for eliminating Afghani during the three-day-long encounter that started on Saturday after specific inputs regarding presence of terrorists.

A joint cordon and search operation was launched by the forces on Saturday. Police said during the search operation, as the presence of terrorists got ascertained they were given the opportunity to surrender, but they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which retaliated leading to an encounter.

J&K Police said even on Sunday morning they made repeated announcements asking the hiding terrorists to surrender but the terrorists fired on the joint search party which led to Jahangir Ahmad Wani’s death. Wani was affiliated to the Lashkar-e-Taiba.

One US-made M4 carbine, three magazines, 36 armour piercing rounds and Rs 9,600 were recovered from the slain militant’s possession at the encounter site, J&K Police said, adding that three houses, from where the militants were firing, were damaged after security forces fired mortars.

Meanwhile, three youths and a police constable were injured in clashes as part of the three-day encounter where security forces initially fired pellets, burst teargas shells and resorted to lathicharge to disperse the stone-pelting demonstrators on Sunday.