Bandipora: One terrorist gunned down in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Monday morning. An encounter broke out between terrorists and security forces at Gundjahangir in the Hajin area of J&K, police said.
Search operations are underway in the area. The terrorist is identified as Imtiyaz Ahmad Dar and is said to have been affiliated with terror outfit LeT (Lashkar- e-Taiba). He was also involved in the recent targeted killings of civilians, according to police.
Earlier, one police personnel was injured during an encounter in the Verinag area of Anantnag. One terrorist was also killed. A pistol and a hand grenade were recovered from the spot. The operation is ongoing.
Yesterday, in response to the recent targeted terror attacks on minorities in the Union Territory, the security forces have taken a strong stance by launching a massive crackdown against the ‘anti-social elements’ in Jammu and Kashmir.
Approximately 70 youths have been detained in Srinagar after the Kashmir Valley witnessed seven civilian killings in a week. In all, 570 people have been detained across Kashmir. The police is questioning several stone pelters and other anti-social elements after detaining them.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at 15 locations in Jammu and Kashmir as part of its strategy on a crackdown against terror-related activities. The Centre has also dispatched a top official of the Intelligence Bureau to Srinagar to coordinate operations against terrorists.
Targeted killings
Six were killed in the past one week, among which four belonged to the minority communities and six of the deaths took place in Srinagar, the main urban centre of the Valley.
Two civilians were shot dead on October 7, in a targeted serial terror attack on civilians. One civilian was a school teacher and another was a principal.
On Wednesday, three civilians including Makhan Lal Bindroo was shot dead by a suspected militants. Makhan Lal Bindroo was killed at his shop Bindroo Medicate in Srinagar.
Sixty-eight-year-old Makhan Lal Bindroo was shot at by the assailants from point-blank range while he was at his pharmacy, dispensing medicines.
An official said Makhan Lal Bindroo received four bullets and was declared brought dead at SMHS hospital. A famous chemist in the area, Bindroo had been operating his pharmacy in Srinagar for many decades and was also well known for his philanthropic works.
A Kashmiri Pandit, Makhan Lal Bindroo, was one of the few from the community who did not migrate out at the onset of militancy in 1990.
He stayed back along with his wife to continue operating his business which grew to become a trusted name in the city for quality medicines.
Within an hour, militants struck at Hawal area of the city, killing a non-local street vendor, an official said.
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