Three highly trained ‘fidayeen’ (members of a suicide squad) of Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit, tasked to target vital security installations, were killed by the joint teams of security forces near Ban Toll plaza on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on Friday.
All three heavily armed terrorists were travelling in a Kashmir bound truck, bearing registration number JK03F-1478, when they were intercepted at Bann Toll plaza by police at a security check point around 5.30 a.m. According to police, terrorists hiding inside the truck opened fire on security forces when they insisted on carrying thorough checking of the truck.
During the encounter, three associates of JeM terrorists, including a Kashmir based local guide, along with a driver and conductor were also arrested by the police. The arrested driver is identified as Sameer Ahmed Dar. A year ago, Sameer Dar’s cousin Adil Dar had rammed his explosive-laden Maruti Eeco car into a CRPF bus, killing 40 personnel on board. Sameer has reportedly done Masters in geology from Kashmir university.
The incident comes days before the Pulwama attack anniversary on February 14.
Preliminary reports gathered by the police teams claimed the trio may have possibly infiltrated from across the International border with Pakistan via Hiranagar sector in Kathua district and were being escorted in a Kashmir bound truck to their destination.
The truck driver along with the conductor had created a special cavity to hide these terrorists by packing polyvinyl bags in a particular pattern.
DGP Police, Dilbagh Singh, who visited the encounter site along with senior police and CRPF officers, told reporters, “according to preliminary reports all three terrorists, belonging to Pakistan based Jaish-e- Mohammad terror outfit, were eliminated by the security forces after intercepting a truck in the early hours of Friday morning”.
Dilbagh Singh said, “the three terrorists were armed with AK rifles including a sniper rifle and large quantities of ammunition, satellite phone, brand new mobile handsets, wire cutters, grenades,ration supplies and other essential items to last long during the operation”.
According to preliminary investigations carried out by the intelligence agencies, these three terrorists were tasked to carry out attacks on vital security installations.
Soon after the encounter started in the area, traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was suspended.
Educational institutions in the neighboring Udhampur district were closed down and all other vital security installations were put on high alert to prevent any attack.
Thousands of Kashmir bound passengers also remained stranded on the highway at different locations between Jammu and Bann Toll Plaza. After the encounter was called off and necessary
sanitisation operation was completed the traffic was allowed to ply on the highway.
Earlier on September 28, 2019, three pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) terrorists were eliminated by the joint team of security forces during nine-hour-long operation in Ramban district.
One civilian who was held hostage by the terrorists inside his house in Batote town was safely rescued by the security forces while one Army jawan had sacrificed his life and two other policemen received injuries. In September 2018, a group of militants,travelling in a Srinagar bound truck, were neutralised near Kakriyal on Jammu-Srinagar National highway by the security forces after they opened fire on a police patrol party.
