Six Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists were killed in two separate encounters in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, officials said. Two of the slain terrorists have been identified as Pakistani nationals.
The JeM is a Pakistan-based group that has been designated as a terror organisation by India, the United Nations, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The group is known to have links with the Taliban and Al Qaeda and has previously conducted several deadly attacks in India, including the 2019 Pulwama attack that resulted in the death of 46 Indian soldiers in Kashmir. In fact, just this month, a militant attack on a bus carrying security forces members resulted in the death of three police officers and left 11 others injured. It was reported that the militants indiscriminately fired at the bus in Srinagar.
The Kashmir Zone Police celebrated the security operations conducted in Anantnag and Kulgam districts as a “big success.” Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar said two of those killed in the gunfights were identified as Pakistanis and two others as local terrorists. The identity of the other two is yet to be ascertained.
According to officials cited by Hindustan Times, security forces launched the operation following a tip-off that disclosed the location of the terrorists. While conducting the search operation, they were fired upon by the terrorists and retaliated. During the gunfight in Anantnag, one police officer was injured. A police source quoted by NDTV said officials suspect the presence of other terrorists in the area.
This is the latest security operation conducted by Indian security forces to check militancy and terrorist activities in the Kashmir Valley. Earlier this month, two terrorists, a commander of the JeM and a foreign militant and IED expert, were killed in clashes with security forces in Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
According to official figures cited by Firstpost, around 70% of the young locals who joined militant groups this year have either been killed or arrested. Of these, 82 have been arrested and 28 are now in the custody of the National Investigation Agency. However, 165 others, including 75 foreigners, are still active in the Kashmir Valley. Reports suggest that around 100 members of the JeM who were released from Afghan prisons following the Taliban takeover in August have re-joined the group and are planning attacks on India.