The Jammu and Kashmir Police announced early on Wednesday morning that a terrorist has been killed in an encounter in Pulwama district. That terrorist has now been identified as Feroz Ahmad Dar, a resident of Heff-Shrimal in Shopian.
The police described him as an A+ category terrorist of proscribed terror group Hizbul Mujahideen. “He was involved in several terror crimes, including attack on Minority Guard in 2018 at Zainapora Shopian, in which 4 police personnel were martyred,” the police said in a statement.
“Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition, including one AK-series rifle along with three magazines recovered from him,” the statement further said.
A case has been registered case under relevant sections of law and investigation has been initiated, the Jammu and Kashmir Police added in the statement.
The encounter in Pulwama started after midnight and continued till Wednesday morning.
The security forces initially launched a cordon and search operation in Uzram Pathri village of Pulwama district on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, acting on a specific input regarding the presence of a terrorist.
The joint operation by Jammu and Kashmir Police, 44RR and 182 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soon turned into an encounter after terrorists fired upon the forces, who retaliated.
The terrorist was given repeated opportunities to surrender, but he kept firing indiscriminately upon the security forces, according to the statement.
As per police records, Feroz Ahmed Dar was active since 2017 and was also involved in killing of a young girl named Ishrat Muneer, a resident of Dangerpora in Pulwama in February 2019. Dar was involved in killing of a non-local labourer namely Charnajeet from Punjab who was employed by an Apple orchard owner in Zainapora area of Shopian.