May 24: On a credible input, a cordon & search operation was launched by police and security forces at Batpora in Dadsara area of Awantipora.
During the search operation, the hiding millitant fired on the search party. The fire was retaliated leading to an encounter.
In the ensuing encounter, 01 militant was killed and the body was retrieved from the site of encounter. The killed millitant was identified as Zakir Rashid Bhat alias Musa of Noorpora Tral.
According to the police records, Zakir had a long history of terror crime records since 2013. He was initially associated with proscribed militant outfit HM then he floated new terror outfit Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH). He was wanted by law for his complicity in a series of terror crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities.
As per police records Zakir was involved in planning & executing series of terror attacks in the area and many other civilian atrocities.
Several terror crime cases were registered against him. He was involved in case FIR No 126/2014 pertaining to the grenade attack on CISF at Noorpora Check, Case FIR No 135/2014 pertaining to abduction and killing of a civilian Firdous Ahmad Hurrah of Dusoo Pulwama, Case FIR No. 24/2015 pertaining to inciting youth for terrorist activities, Case FIR No. 39/2016 pertaining to killing of a civilian lady Hameed Bano of Noorpora, Case FIR No. 190/2016 pertaining to snatching of weapons from security forces, Case FIR No. 165/2016 pertaining to arson act on Govt Higher Secondary School Dadsara, Case FIR No. 170/2016 pertaining to anti-National activities, Case FIR No. 80/2017 pertaining to other militant activities, Case FIR No. 139/2017 pertaining to bank dacoity at J&K Bank Noorpora, Case FIR No. 50/2018 pertaining to raising of funds for terrorist activities. Besides several other terror cases were registered against him pertaining to terror attacks and civilian atrocities in the area.
Further, He was declared as pro-claimed offender by NIA special court Mohali Punjab on 2nd May, 2019 in NIA case RC-39/2018/NIA/DLI. The said case pertains to his involvement in serial blasts at Jalandhar Punjab on 14th September, 2018 for which case FIR No. 163/2018 was registered at Police Station Maqsudan Jalandhar. The investigation of the said case was later taken by NIA.
Incriminating materials including arms & ammunition was recovered from the site of encounter. Police has registered a case and all these materials have been taken in the case records for the purpose of investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror crimes.
People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosives materials if any.
