Srinagar: A top Lashkar-e-Toiba(LeT) commander and his Pakistani accomplice were killed in separate encounters in the outskirts of Srinagar on Monday, police said
Police said top commander of Lashkar, Saleem Parray, a resident of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, was killed in a brief shootout in Shalimar area while his accomplice fled from the spot. The accomplice identified as Hafiz alias Hamza of Pakistan was later killed in a separate gunfight in a nearby area at Harwan an hour later, police said
Police said a search operation was launched in Shalimar following an input regarding the presence of militants there.
“Based on specific input generated by the Police regarding presence of terrorist in Harwan/Shalimar area, a search operation was launched by Srinagar Police and CRPF in the said area. During the search operation, the search party was fired upon indiscriminately by hiding terrorist, which was effectively retaliated upon leading to a brief shootout & elimination of a dreaded terrorist Saleem Parray, linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT,” a police statement said.
Soon after the said operation, a second encounter erupted at Gasu in which a foreign militant was killed
“During the said operation, one foreign terrorist identified as Hafiz alias Hamza of Pakistan linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT was neutralized,” it added.
As per the police records the killed Parray was categorized and had been active since 2016 and was wanted in several terror related cases.
“He was involved in several civilian killings including killing of Bashir Ahmad Dar and his brother Ghulam Hassan Dar at Shahgund Hajin May 2018, killing of Hilal Ahmad Parray at Parray Mohalla Hajin on May 16. Besides, he was also involved in slitting the throat of several civilians in Hajin area. He was also involved in providing logistic support to the terrorists operating in the area to carry out terror attacks,” the statement said. “Moreover, the slain terrorist Saleem Parray had spread a reign of terror by abducting civilians and killing/torturing them by accusing them of being informers.”
IGP Kashmir said Hafiz was involved in several attacks including the recent killing of two policemen at Gulshan Chowk Bandipora on December 10 .
“After this terror crime, he shifted to Harwan area of Srinagar due to frequent cordon & search operation in Bandipora area. He was also involved in killing of a CRPF personnel at Hajin Bandipora, killing of a civilian namely Nadif Hanief Khan of Bilal Colony Soura in Buchpora,” the statement said.
“Moreover, both the slain terrorists were also involved in an attack on a search party of the security forces in Hajin in which one police personnel Ct Zaheer Abbas was martyred,” he added.
Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition were recovered from both the encounter sites, the police said.
Soon after the news about the killing of Parrey reached his native area of Hajin, a protest broke out.
