A Jaish-e-Muhammad terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district late Monday.
Abu Hurrah, an A-category Jaish-e-Muhammad terrorist was a resident of Pakistan. The security forces have recovered an AK-56 assault rifle, a pistol, three grenades, four magazines and a pistol magazine from the slain terrorist.
Two civilians and a soldier were injured during the gunbattle in Batpora village.
This operation was conducted based on specific intelligence and in coordination with J&K DGP Dilbagh and 15 Corps Commander.
Kulgam in south Kashmir has been the hotbed of Jaish-e-Muhammad terrorism even before 2019 Pulwama terror attack. The Pakistan-based proscribed JeM has a base in Sialkot across the LoC and uses the border south of Pir Panjal to infiltrate jihadists for action in Jammu and in south Kashmir. The Jaish terror group is effectively run by Rauf Azhar, the younger brother of ailing Maulana Masood Azhar, who is based in Bahawalpur.
In April, the ministry of home affairs had designated two Jaish-e-Muhammad terrorists Aurangzeb Alamgir and Ali Kashif Jan as terrorists under the UAPA.
Alamgir is a resident of Bahawalpur and was the key conspirator, fund raiser and infiltration commander of the 2019 Pulwama terror attack. He is also responsible for sending Afghan terrorists to infiltrate into J&K.
On the other hand, Ali Kashif Jan is a resident of Charsadda in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He is the operational commander and part of the core planning committee of the Masood Azhar family. Kashif Jan was the handler of terrorists involved in 2016 Pathankot Air Force station attack.