Security forces on Monday shot dead “chief operational commander” of Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) outfit involved in masterminding last month’s major strike on Sunjwan Army camp on the outskirts of Jammu. The Sunjwan attack resulted into martyrdom of five soldiers, including an officer, father of a soldier, and three suicide attackers. Sources said the slain terrorist, identified as Mufti Waqas, a suspected Pakistani national, was killed in a meticulous operation without causing any collateral damage. He was killed in the neighbourhood of Lethpora village where a suicide attack, also masterminded by him, had killed five CRPF men in a prolonged suicide attack between December 31 and January 1, 2018.

“Based on specific intelligence of presence of a terrorist in the area of Hatwar village in Awantipora police district, a joint specific operation was launched by 50 Rashtriya Rifles, police and Central Reserve Police Force. During the operation, Mufti Waqas was killed. He was in the A++ category of terrorists. There have been no civilian casualties or collateral damage,” Defence Spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said in a statement.

“This has resulted in a major dent to the designs of JeM after the elimination of their earlier operational commander Noor Mohammad Tantrey in the same area on December 17. His successor too has now been killed. Mufti Waqas had entered Kashmir in early 2017,” Kalia said.

In a separate statement, police said during search operation, the search party was fired upon by the hiding terrorist and during retaliatory fire Waqas, alias Abu Arsalan, was killed.

The killed terrorist was the chief architect of attacks on the security forces including, but not limited to, district police lines Pulwama on August 26, 2017, CRPF camp in Lethpora and Sunjwan Army camp on February 10, 2018, police said. “From his possession one weapon, war-like stores and other incriminating material were recovered,” the statement said.

Sources said Waqas was a close aide of dwarf terrorist Noor Trali, who played major role in re-organising LeT in Kashmir. Trali, involved in an arms smuggling case spent several years in Tihar Jail in Delhi and was on parole when he rejoined terrorist ranks and played pivotal role in re-establishing base for JeM in south Kashmir. He reportedly encouraged local recruitment to the outfit and arranged arms for his cadre.

 Courtesy: Pioneer, Tuesday, 06 March 2018 | Khursheed Wani | Srinagar