SRINAGAR: Three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, who were involved in the recent killing of a sarpanch in Khonmoh, were killed in an encounter with security forces on the outskirts of the city here in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, police said.
The security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation at Nowgam early in the morning after receiving specific inputs about the presence of terrorists in the area, a police spokesperson said.
He said the search operation turned into an encounter after the terrorists fired upon the forces, who retaliated.
"In the ensuing encounter, three categorised terrorists were killed and their bodies retrieved from the site of the encounter. They were identified as Adil Nabi Teli, a resident of Galchibal Chandhara, Pampore, Shakir Ahmad Tantray, a resident of Ronipora, Shopian, and Yasir Ahmad Wagay, a resident of Kujer Frisal, Kulgam," the spokesperson said.
"According to police records, the slain terrorists were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeT (TRF) and were active since 2021. They were part of groups involved in several terror crime cases, including attacks on police and security forces and civilian atrocities," the spokesperson said.
The three men were involved in the killing of the sarpanch in Khonmoh on March 9, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, said, adding that they used to carry out attacks on Panchayati Raj institution members and protected persons.
"The killing of the three terrorists is a huge success for the police. We have busted all the modules involved in the recent killings of sarpanches, CRPF personnel etc., including that of a Territorial Army soldier of Budgam," the IGP said.
He said the slain ultras were planning to carry out an attack on security forces on the national highway. "Pakistan does not want the democratic process or development to continue. So they are targeting panches and sarpanches. But we are giving them a befitting reply. We are identifying them, arresting them or neutralising them in encounters," Kumar said.
The police spokesperson said Teli, along with his associates, was also involved in the killing of Inspector Pervaiz Ahmad Dar at Menganwari Nowgam in June last year and in the killing of Javaid Ahmed Malik at Lurgam Tral.
Besides, he was involved in a grenade attack on a joint party of police and the CRPF at Barbarshah in Srinagar, in which one civilian was killed and three were injured.
Tantray and Wagay were involved in several terror crime cases, including the killing of ASI Mohammad Ashraf near the Bijbehara police station in Anantnag in December last year.
Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition, including an AK rifle, three AK magazines, 14 AK rounds, two pistols, four pistol magazines and six pistol rounds, were seized from the site of the encounter. All the seized materials have been taken into case records for further investigation.