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| Huge success for security forces as top LeT commander Naveed Jatt killed in encounter | | Was involved in many attacks, assassination of journalist Shujaat Bukhari: Police | |  Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Nov 28: Police and security forces achieved a major breakthrough in their anti-militancy operations after Naveed Jatt, a top commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) was killed in an encounter in the wee hours today in the Central Kashmir's Budgam district.
Jatt was involved in many attacks on police and security forces in Kashmir valley especially in Central and South Kashmir. Police had blamed him for the killing of senior journalist and Editor-in-Chief of English Daily Rising Kashmir, Syed Shujaat Bukhari. A local militant has also been killed in today's encounter. Reports said that police and security forces after receiving inputs that some militants are hiding in the Kuthpora village near Chattergam in Budgam district cordoned off the area. As the house where the militants were hiding was encircled the party carrying out the cordon and search operation was fired upon.
The fire was returned and in no time a full-fledged encounter ensued between the two sides. The encounter that lasted for few hours culminated with the killing of two militants including Naveed Jatt. The police and security forces played it safe and confirmed the killing of Jatt only after his body was recovered from the encounter site. The local militant killed in the encounter has been identified as Riyaz Ahmad, resident of Sathur-Kakapora in Pulwama district.
A police spokesman said that a cordon & search operation was launched in the pre-dawn hours today based on a credible input about the presence of militants in Kuthpora Chattergam area of District Budgam jointly by Police and security forces. As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the hiding terrorists. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight.
"In the ensuing encounter, two militants were neutralized and the bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. Among the two militants killed, one has been identified as Naveed Jatt alias Hanzalla who was known as commander of proscribed militant outfit LeT. He was wanted by law for his complicity in a series of crimes including killing of noted journalist Shujaat Bukhari, attacks on security establishments and many other civilian atrocities," said the spokesman.
The spokesman said that Jatt was born in Multan Pakistan and was part of militant Ajmal Kasab group at a Madrassa in Pakistan where he had undergone arms training. In October 2012, Jatt along with his associates had crossed over into the valley of Kashmir. He had a long history of crime records since 2012. He was involved in killing of an ASI in Pulwama on May 2013, series of grenade attacks on security forces and was involved in killing of CRPF personnel at Awneera Shopian in August 2013, he said.
"Besides, he was also involved in conspiring and executing several bank robberies and attacks in South Kashmir including attack on Court Complex Pulwama on March 2014 in which two policemen were martyred, attack on polling party in Shopian on April 2014 in which several civilians sustained injuries and one presiding officer namely Zia-ul-Haq Wani was killed, attack on police party at Bongam Shopian on June 2014 in which several civilians and policemen were injured," said the spokesman.
Jatt was apprehended by police in June 2014 but he managed to escape from the custody in February this year while he was being taken to SMHS hospital Srinagar for medical treatment from Central Jail Srinagar. In a shootout that took place at the hospital two policemen were martyred.
He also figured as a suspect in case FIR No. 51/2018 in Police Station Kothi Bagh pertaining to the assassination of Shujaat Bukhari and his security personnel. In this case which is under investigation a hue & cry notice was issued against Jatt and three others on the basis of material evidence collected.
In the meantime, Director General of Police Dilbag Singh said that since Jatt is a Pakistani national, the Jammu & Kashmir Police would through competent authorities approach Government of India for taking up the matter with Pakistan for handing over body of Jatt to them. |
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