The Army on Tuesday said the terrorist killed during an encounter in Bandipora on Monday was an ‘A’ category militant, identified as Umar Lone. Lone was killed in the Aragam area of Bandipora during a joint operation launched on the night of June 16 and 17.

Addressing mediapersons, Commander 3 Sector Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Brigadier Vipul Tyagi said: “The elimination of the top rank commander is a major achievement for the security forces.” The Army officer said they had been getting information about the movement of militants in the area for the past few weeks. “We had kept this area in focus,” he said.

He added that based on inputs received on June 16-17, the Army, CRPF and J&K Police launched a joint operation. During the ambush, he said, the party saw suspicious movement and after a thorough check-up, the ambush party opened fire.

“In this encounter, one terrorist, identified as Umar Lone of Husankhoie Pattanwas, was killed,” the Army officer added. He added: “Lone, active since 2018, was an ‘A’ category terrorist associated with the TRF and LeT. He was responsible for several terrorist activities, including recruitment, running a network of overground workers (OGWs) and illegal killings.”

The Army said: “His elimination is a big success for the security forces.” Brigadier Vipul Tyagi said: “The Army, police and CRPF forces have for the past few weeks maintained high operational momentum and killed terrorists who had been operating for a long time. We have got the full support of people in this.”

The officer said the security forces would continue to strive and maintain this momentum towards ensuring peace and stability in Kashmir.

Courtesy: The Tribune India: 19th June , 2024