Sandeep Bhat
Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 9: Although one more terrorist on the radar of security forces was eliminated in Monday’s encounter, the hunt is still going on for the remaining six terrorists on the list prepared by the security forces after the Pahalgam terror attack.
One of the two terrorists killed in Monday’s prolonged gunbattle in Kulgam had been on the radar of security forces ever since the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
Aamir Ahmed Dar, who was neutralized along with another terrorist in the Guddar area of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district, was among the 14 terrorists identified by security agencies following the Pahalgam incident. Of these 14, eight have been eliminated so far, while six remain active. Among the six, three are affiliated with the proscribed organization Hizbul Mujahideen and the other three with the banned group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Aamir Ahmed Dar, a resident of Darmdora in Shopian, was actively involved in terror activities in the valley, operating alongside Pakistani handlers. His name appeared in the list prepared after the Pahalgam attack, and his elimination marks the eighth terrorist neutralized from that list.
A senior police officer confirmed that Aamir was classified as a ‘C-category’ terrorist and had been associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba. He reportedly joined terrorist activities on September 30, 2023. The second Lashkar militant killed in the encounter was identified as Rehman Bhai, a Pakistani national long active in the Pir Panjal region.
The officer also noted that on August 2, security forces had killed another Lashkar terrorist, Haris Nazir from Kachipora, Pulwama, in an encounter in the Akhal forest area of Kulgam. He too had been listed among the 14 suspects after the Pahalgam attack.
Of the 14 terrorists identified, three were killed in Shukru, Shopian, on May 13, another three in Nadar, Tral, on May 15, and one more in Akhal, Kulgam, on August 2.
Following the Pahalgam attack, intelligence agencies prepared a list of 14 local terrorists operating in the Union Territory, many of whom are linked to Pakistan-backed terror outfits such as Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
So far, eight of the 14 terrorists have been neutralized, while the search for the remaining six continues. The current hit list includes Zubair Ahmed Wani alias Abu Ubaida (A+ category, Hizbul): Chief operational commander in Anantnag district, Adil Rehman Dentu (A+ category, Lashkar): District commander in Sopore, Asif Ahmed Khanday (A+ category, Hizbul): Active in Shopian, Naseer Ahmed (C category, Lashkar): Active in Shopian, Haroon Rashid (Hizbul): Recently returned from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and Zakir Ahmed (Lashkar). |
