In a big success, security forces on Friday eliminated a dreaded terrorist of the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) in South Kashmir Shopian district in a brief encounter.
Identified as Bilal Ahmed Bhat son of Ghulam Rasool Bhat resident of Chek Cholan of Shopian, the dreaded terrorist was involved in the killing of Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz and a Kashmiri Pandit Sunil Kumar Bhat.
The killed terrorist was also involved in throwing a grenade at migrant labourers in the Hermain area of the Shopian district.
Sharing details of the encounter in which Bilal Bhat was eliminated, a police spokesperson said that acting on specific information regarding the presence of a terrorist in the village Chotigam area of
Shopian, a joint cordon and search operation was launched in the wee hours by Police, Army (34RR) and CRPF (178Bn) in the said area.
"During the search operation, as the joint party approached the suspected spot, the hiding terrorist fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which was retaliated effectively, leading to an encounter", the police spokesperson said.
In the ensuing encounter, one terrorist was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of encounter. He has been identified as Bilal Ahmed Bhat son of Ghulam Rasool Bhat resident of Chek Cholan, affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeT.
Bilal was a dreaded terrorist, wanted in many cases
As per police records Bilal Ahmed was involved in many terror cases as he along with other terrorists was active in different parts of South Kashmir for the last couple of years.
- He was involved in the killing of local Army personnel namely Ummer Fayaz son of Fayaz Ahmad Parray resident of Sudsan Kulgam.
- Bhat hurled a grenade upon non-local labours in Hermain, resulting in on spot death of two labourers.
- He was also involved in the killing of a Kashmiri Pandit namely Sunil Kumar Bhat son of G Bhat and injuring another Kashmiri Pandit Pretimber Nath son of Arjun Nath Bhat, both residents of Chotigam Shopian.
- He was also involved in the attack on local Bal Krishan alias Sonu resident of Chotigam.
The eliminated terrorist was also involved in instigating local youth to join terrorist ranks and induced 12 local youths into the ranks of terrorists. Besides other terror crimes, he was also involved in the killing of an arrested terrorist who was leading the search party during a CASO at Nowgam in the year 2022.
Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition including one AK series rifle and three magazines were recovered from the site of the encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror crimes.
In this regard, the Police have registered a case under relevant sections of law and an investigation has been initiated.
Unarmed Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz was killed by terrorists in May 2017
A young Army officer Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz was abducted from a marriage function and killed in May 2017 by Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists from the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir.
When Ummer was kidnapped by terrorists he was on leave and unmared. He had come to his uncle's house in the Shopian district to attend a marriage ceremony in his family.
Lieutenant Fayaz, was posted with 2 Rajputana Rifles.
The autopsy report showed marks on his body, indicating that the officer had resisted the terrorists who had abducted him.
He was fired at from a close range, and the bullets had hit his head and stomach or chest region.
It is important to mention here that two terrorists involved in Ummer Fayaz's kidnapping and killing were already eliminated in April 2018.
