October 27
Shabir Khan
Amid the growing civilian and Militant Causalities throughout Kashmir, an encounter that went almost unnoticed was the one that raged in Baramulla on Friday morning.
After nearly five hours of intense fighting, two Pakistani Militants had been killed in the gunfight, the forces including 29RR, Jammu Kashmir Police had jointly held the operation at Pazalpora village of Dangiwacha Sopore.
Acting on a specific intelligence, CRPF, 22 Rashtriya Rifles and SOG launched an operation, A group of two militants Abu Maaz were trapped.
Officials told The Kashmiriyat that two Pakistani Militants, Abu Maaz and Ali who had been active in North Kashmir for six years and two years respectively have been laid to rest with Islamic rituals in a North Kashmir graveyard.
The Killing of Abu Maaz is a major blow to Lashkar e Taiba and a major success for Government Forces, he was a major hurdle to stopping Militant activities in North Kashmir,” an official told The Kashmiriyat.
“Abu Maaz was one of the longest running Pakistani militants, he took over the guard of Lashkar e Taiba after the killing of militant commander Abu Uni in Sopore,” Sources said.
Maaz’s killing is a shot in the arm for security forces.
Droves of young Pakistani men mingled with Kashmiris, wielding Kalashnikovs roamed the streets of Kashmir. Sounds of gunfire and explosions mixed with slogans of “Azaadi” “freedom” emanating from public rallies. Famous Kashmiri Author, Agha Shahid Ali pens down of the agony of that period: “Srinagar hunches like a wild cat; lonely sentries, wretched in bunkers on the city’s bridges, far from their homes in the plains, licensed to kill- while the Jhelum [river] flows under them, sometimes with a dismembered body.”
Officials told The Kashmiriyat that Maaz liked to remain low profile and his photos had hardly appeared anywhere on Social Networking. “He was responsible for attacks on Forces as well as civilians.”
He has carried out many successful operations against the Army and Government Forces in the past sic years, they said adding that, he was the key man of Lashkar e Taiba in North Kashmir.
His associate, Ali from Pakistan who had been active for more than two years in North Kashmir was also killed in the gunfight, he was also affiliated with Lashkar e Taiba.
However Pakistani youth in large numbers still cross over, most of them get killed allegedly while crossing the Line of Control that divides india and Pakistan, the militants are though denied a public funeral, which lately has become concern for Indian Security agencies. (The Kashmiriyat)