Top LeT commander among two militants killed in Pulwama encounter

1 killed in clashes near encounter site

15/10/2017

SRINAGAR, Oct 14: Top Lashkar-e-Taiba militant Waseem Shah, believed to be the main architect of the unrest last year in south Kashmir, was killed along with his accomplice by security forces in an encounter early this morning in Pulwama district, police said.
Shah, 23, also known as 'Abu Osama Bhai' was killed at Litter area in Pulwama, a place considered to be a safe haven for militants. This is the first counter-insurgency operation in Litter area in four years.
Jammu and Kashmir police had been tracking the movements of Shah, who is considered as the 'don' of Heff, another stronghold of militants in South Kashmir's Shopian district.
After information that he was at his hideout at Litter, police and its special operation group team cordoned off the area, police said.
Shah along with his bodyguard Nisar Ahmed Mir made an attempt to flee but could not penetrate the cordon which had been strengthened by the presence of the CRPF and Army, they said.
Shah, who was wanted in various terror-related cases, was killed along with Nisar, another local who had joined militancy in May this year.
Shah, a resident of Heff-Shrimal in Shopian, joined militancy in 2014 and was considered as the 'chief architect' of last year's unrest in various parts of South Kashmir.
Born in a middle class family of Gul Mohammed Shah, who ran a fruit business, Shah was a college dropout and an active supporter of Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group since his school days when he had doubled up as a courier boy for the outfit, police said.
Of late, Shah, who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was recruiting fresh cadres for the militant outfit.
He had been involved in various attacks on security forces in south Kashmir, police said.
A top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) commander was among two militants killed in an early morning operation at Pulwama on Saturday.
Lashkar's district commander, Waseem Ahmad Shah alias Abu Usama Bhai son of Ghulam Mohammad Shah resident of Heff Shirmal, Shopian, was killed along with an associate Nisar Ahmad Mir son of Abdul Hameed Mir resident of Litter at Litter village of Pulwama in an ensuing encounter.
A joint team of Police Pulwama, 03 RR, 55 RR, 182 & 183 Bn CRPF cordoned off the Litter village in South Kashmir's Pulwama after inputs about the presence of militants in the village.
As the joint team was zeroing on the target house which was the house of former militant Pintu Malik, the holed up militants opened fire, resulting in a gun fight that ended with killing of both the militants.
Waseem Shah was Lashkar's district commander and one of the notorious militants operating in South Kashmir. He had joined militant ranks in March 2014. He was involved in number of FIRs viz 19/2014, 37/2014, 47/2014, 27/2015, 17/2016, 45/2016 30/2017, 02/2017, 50/2017 of P/S Zainapora and 107/2014, 130/2014, 87/2015 of P/S Shopian. His associate Nisar had joined militant ranks this year. Two AK 47 rifles and ammunition was recovered from the encounter site.
A 25-year old civilian identified as Gulzar Ahmad Mir son of Ali Mohammad Mir resident of Allaipora, Lassipora lost his life in the cross firing and one more civilian who was identified as Mohammad Ashraf Mir son of Mohammad Abdullah Mir resident of Litter also sustained injuries. The injured person is undergoing treatment at SKIMS, Soura.
However, a civilian was killed as stone- pelting protestors clashed with security personnel near an encounter site in Pulwama district where two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants were gunned down today.
Police claimed that the victim, Gulzar Ahmad Mir, was caught in the cross-fire between the militants and security forces, but some locals alleged that he was killed in the action by security personnel against the protestors.
Two militants, including wanted Lashkar commander Waseem Shah, were killed by security forces this morning at Litter in the district.
Soon after the encounter, a group of people started throwing stones at the security forces, eyewitnesses said.
They claimed that six persons, including Mir, were injured in the security forces' action.
Mir succumbed to injuries at a hospital here.
Four injured persons were taken to a local hospital for treatment and another injured is admitted to a Srinagar hospital, the eyewitnesses claimed.

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