After witnessing a decline during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the encounters in Jammu Kashmir especially in South Kashmir, the hotbed of militancy have shown spurt with Lashkar-e-Toiba militant outfit losing its seven top commanders in just 26 days.
Figures available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) suggest that in the 26 days of July month Kashmir valley witnessed 13 encounters in which 27 militants were killed, among them most were affiliated with the LeT outfit.
Of 13 encounters, four were reported in the Kulgam district, three in Pulwama and one each in Anantnag, Srinagar, Kupwara, Bandipora, Baramulla and Shopian districts.
Notably, 27 killed militants include eight top commanders including Neeshaz Lone of Tral Pulwama, Aarif Hajam of Sadoora, Anantnag, Ishfaq Ahmad Dar from Heff Shopian, Aijaz alias Abu Huraira a non-local, Fayaz War of Sopore, Sharik Baba of Bandipora and Aamir Mir of Check-i-Choland Shopian who all were associated with LeT and Mehrajudin Halwai of Kupwara was associated with HM.
Police termed the killing of commanders’ big success and said that they were involved in a series of militancy related incidents.
A top official said that Lashkar has been almost wiped out mainly from South Kashmir and other than Reyaz Ahmad from Sethargund Kakapora no local top commander of the organization is active now in South Kashmir.
On July 2, five militants including a top commander were killed in a 17-hour long encounter in Hanjan village of Rajpora hamlet of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
They were identified as Nishaz Hussain Lone alias Khitab (district commander LeT) son of Manzoor Ahmed Lone, active since 2018, resident of Nageenpora Tral, Danish Manzoor Shiekh son of Manzoor Ahmad resident of Sathergund Kakapora, Amir Wagay son of Ab Gani Wagay resident of Hanjan Payeen, Manzoor lone from Gurez and a foreign militant identified as Abu Rehan alias Tawheed resident of Pakistan. All the killed militants were linked with LeT.
On July 07, a top militant commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen was killed in an encounter with security forces in Handwara Tehsil of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
Police identified the militant as Mehraj-du-Din Halwai alias Ubaid, a resident of Sopore in Baramulla district. He was active since 2012.
On July 08, four militants were killed in two separate encounters in South Kashmir’s Pulwama and Kulgam district.
In Pulwama two militants namely Kifayat Ramzan from Padgampora and Inayat Ahmad Dar Samboora were killed in an encounter in the Puchal area of the district while in Kulgam two militants identified as Shahbaz Ahmad Shah a resident of Katrusu Kulgam and Nasir Ahmad Pandith from Redwani Kulgam were killed in a brief encounter in Zadora Kulgam.
On July 09, militants managed to give slip to forces after an exchange of fire in the Redwani area of Kulgam. However, July 10 saw the killing of three militants in Sadoor Anantnag who were identified as Basit Ahmad from Telwani Anantnag, Suhail Ahmad from Pulwama and Aarif Hajam of Sadoora. The trio was killed in an encounter in the Kwaripora area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
On July 14, three LeT militants identified as LeT commander Aijaz alias Abu Huraira, resident of Pakistan, Javeed Ahmad Rather son of Abdul Ganie Rather, resident of Tahab Pulwama, and Shahnawaz Nazir Ganie son of Nazir Ahmad Ganie, resident of Samboora, Awantipora were killed in an encounter in new colony area of Pulwama town.
On July 16, two militants identified as Irfan Ahmad Sofi and Bilal Ahmad Bhat, both residents of Natipora were killed in an encounter in Danmar Srinagar.
On July 19, top LeT commander identified as Ishfaq Ahmad Dar from Heff Shopian and his newly joined associate Majid Iqbal from Nowpora Imamsahib were killed in an encounter in Check Sadiq Khan village of Shopian district
On July 23, a top LeT commander Fayaz War along with his associate Shaheen Molvi of Cherpora Budgam were killed in an encounter in Warpora Sopore
On July 24, three militants including commander Shariq Baba of Bandipora were killed in an encounter in Shokbaba Amlar woods of Bandipora district.
On 25 July, police claimed to have killed a militant named Imran Ahmad from Batengoo Anantnag in Munad Yaripora area of Kulgam district, however, his family claimed that he was a civilian.
On July 26, a top commander of the LeT Aamir Mir of Check-i-Choland in Shopian was killed in an encounter at Aherbal Kulgam and a search operation was underway in the area—(KNO)