Jaish-e-Mohammad commander Saifullah was among the two militants killed in the gunfight (IMAGE: X)
In a breakthrough for security forces, they shot and killed Jaish-e-Mohammed commander Saifullah during a fierce gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar region on Sunday.
Saifullah, a Pakistani national, was behind several attacks in the Doda-Kishtwar area and had a reputation for slipping away during earlier encounters. This time, he didn’t get away. The forces also killed another terrorist in the same operation.
The Indian Army said both men belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammed.
The firefight went down in a remote part of the Kishtwar district, near Passerkut in the Chatroo belt, during what they called ‘Operation Trashi-I.’ Troops recovered two AK-47s and a stash of ammunition from the site.
Security officials explained that they pulled together intelligence from the J-K Police, the Intelligence Bureau, and their own sources before launching a joint operation to track down the militants.
Once they made contact, troops from the Counter-Intelligence Force Delta, along with the police and CRPF, closed in on the terrorists around 11 am, even though the terrain wasn’t easy.
The Army said the team worked with sharp precision and coordination, managing to overpower the terrorists and end the standoff. “The hunt continues; those who try to disturb peace here won’t find any safe place,” they posted online.
According to officials, the two terrorists had been hiding out in a mud house at the base of a hill. When the search parties approached, the militants opened fire, sparking a heavy exchange of gunfire. The area is still under search.
Just last month, the Chatroo forest belt saw nearly half a dozen clashes between militants and security forces, resulting in the deaths of a soldier and a terrorist.
With this latest encounter, security forces have now killed six Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists in the Jammu region this year. Earlier, two were taken down in Udhampur and one in Kathua district.
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