Fifty militants, including several top commanders of Jaish-e-Mohmmad (JeM) and Lashker-e-Tioba (LeT), were killed in counter militancy operations by government forces in Jammu and Kashmir this year so far, officials said on Friday.
Seventeen government forces personnel lost their lives while fighting the militants in the union territory, they said.
The militants also killed nine civilians in the last four months, the officials said.
Giving details, a senior official told PTI that the slain militants included top commanders of JeM, LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen.
He said of the 50 militants killed so far this year, 18 were eliminated during the ongoing lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Four militants, including district commander of LeT Muzaffar Ahmed Bhat, were killed in a gunbattle with govt forces in the Dialgam area of Anantnag district in south Kashmir on March 15, the official said, adding they belonged to LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen outfits
On January 25, three militants, including JeM self-styled Kashmir chief Qari Yasir, were killed while three soldiers were injured in a gunfight between govt forces and militants in the Tral area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, he said.
On January 23, another top militant commander Abu Saifullah alias Abu Qasim, an associate of Yasir, was killed in the Khrew area of Pulwama district, the official said.
On April 9, top Jaish-e-Mohammed commander Sajad Nawab Dar was killed by govt forces in Sopore in Baramulla district in north Kashmir, he said.
A top Hizbul Mujahideen ‘commander’ Haroon Wani was killed in a fierce gunfight with the govt forces in the Gundana area of Doda in Jammu and Kashmir on January 15, he said.
Giving further details, the officer said 18 militants were killed during the lockdown in the union territory since March 14.
As many as nine civilians were killed by the militants during this year, he said.
Besides, seventeen govt force personnel were killed during the same period, which includes 13 forces personnel, three Special Police officers (SPOs) and one policeman, he added.
As many as 160 militants were killed and 102 arrested in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, Director General of Police Dilbag Singh had said earlier.
Courtesy PTI
