SRINAGAR: The security forces today claimed to have achieved a major breakthrough by killing a top Jaish-e-Muhammad commander and a Hizbul Mujahideen militant in a gunfight at Shopian.
The police said that the slain militant was identified as Muna Lahori, a Pakistani resident who was an expert in making IEDs and targeting forces with the same and that he was involved in Arihal, Pulwama IED attack on army vehicle, that killed two soldiers and left over four injured recently.
A top police officer said that Muna Lahori was present head of JeM as the outfit suffered major dent in the past more than a year. “He was a brain behind making and targeting forces with the IEDs,” he said. “His killing is obviously a major success.”
According to a police spokesman, encounter broke out at Bonbazar area of Shopian on the basis of a specific input about the presence of militants. “The hiding militants opened fire triggering a fierce gunfight,” he said.
The spokesman said that two militants were killed in the encounter. “One of the slain militants was identified as Mir Zeenat Ul Islam of Turkawangam, Shopian. From the incriminating materials recovered at the site of encounter. The other killed terrorist has been identified as Pakistani code named Munna Lahori,” he said.
He said that it was a combined group of HM and JeM and as per the Police records Zeenat was affiliated with outfit HM while as Munna was affiliated with JeM. According to the Police records Zeenat was part of groups involved in several crimes.
Similarly Munna was also involved in planning and executing series of attacks on security establishments and many other civilian atrocities in the area. “He was involved in case FIR NO. 125/2019 pertaining to IED blast on security forces in Arihal area of Pulwama on June 17, in which two security force personnel were killed,” the police spokesman said.