Rajouri Encounter Update: Top LeT Commander Killed, 5 Soldiers Tortured; Operations in final phase
Two senior terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba group, including a top commander, have been killed in the ongoing gunfight in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Rajouri meeting update: A top commander of banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was killed along with another terrorist during an ongoing encounter with security forces in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, officials said, adding that the operation is currently in the final phase. final phase and will be over soon. Five soldiers, including two army captains, were also killed in the gun battle that has been raging since Wednesday morning.
In a statement earlier in the day, a defense spokesman said a Pakistani terrorist had been killed. Later, officials said another terrorist had been eliminated. The slain Pakistani terrorist has been identified as Quari, a Pakistani national and a top LeT commander trained in Afghanistan.
Killed Lashkar commander trained in Afghanistan
“He was trained on the front lines of Pakistan and Afghanistan. He is a highly regarded terrorist leader of the Lashkar-e-Taiba,” the defense spokesperson said.
Quari, a top LeT commander, was active in Rajouri-Poonch along with his group for the past year, police said, adding that he is also believed to be the mastermind behind the Dangri and Kandi attacks.
The slain terrorist commander was sent to revive terrorism in the region, they said. Quari was an expert in IEDs, a trained sniper and operated from caves.
VIDEO| The bodies of two terrorists, killed in an encounter with security forces in Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir, have been recovered.
(Note: Images have been delayed indefinitely.) pic.twitter.com/r1fXdCN8QZ
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 23, 2023
The identity of the other terrorist is being verified, they said.
Five army personnel have been tortured so far
Five army personnel, including two officers, have been killed in the gunfight so far, officials said.
While four personnel, including two captains, were killed and two others injured during the operation against the terrorists on Wednesday, another jawan succumbed to injuries today, taking the toll to five.
The five killed army personnel have been identified as Captain MV Pranjal of 63 Rastriya Rifles, a resident of Karnataka, Captain Shubham of the Special Forces, a resident of Agra in Uttar Pradesh, Havaldar Abdul Majid of the Special Force, a resident of Poonch. in JK, and Lance Naik Sanjay Bist of Nainital in Uttarakhand.
Officials said the shooting stopped overnight and the area was put under cordon. Firing resumed on Thursday morning and two terrorists were killed, they said, adding that the operation is in its final stages.
The area was cordoned off and more security personnel were deployed overnight to ensure the terrorists could not escape from the densely forested area, officials said.
Two injured army personnel – a major and a jawan – are admitted to the Army Command Hospital in Udhampur.
In a post on
“Contact was established on November 22 and a fierce firefight ensued. The terrorists have been injured and surrounded and operations are underway, amid acts of bravery and sacrifice by their own brave hearts in seeking to prevent collateral damage to women and children in the highest traditions of the Indian Army,” the report said.
The encounter in Rajouri follows another gunfight in Behrote in Budhal region on November 17 in which one terrorist was killed.
Two earlier ambushes in Mendhar area of Poonch and Kandi forest of Rajouri on April 20 and May 5 respectively had claimed the lives of ten soldiers.
According to officials, 46 people have been killed in terrorism-related incidents in the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch and nearby Reasi district since January this year.
While 23 people, including seven terrorists and nine security personnel, were killed in Rajouri, 15 terrorists and five security personnel in Poonch district. Three terrorists were killed in Reasi district.
(With PTI inputs)