Al Badr terrorist and IED expert Zeenat-ul-Islam killed in Kulgam encounter

SRINAGAR: Two dreaded terrorists, including Zeenat-ul-Islam associated with terror outfit Al Badr, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district on Saturday. It was a joint operation by the Army, Police and CRPF in Kulgam.

The two were killed after the security forces launched a massive cordon and search operation in Katpora area in south Kashmir's Kulgam district on Saturday evening following specific information about the presence of two terrorists there.

As the forces were conducting the searches, the two terrorists fired upon them forcing the security forces to retaliate strongly.

In the ensuing encounter, the two dreaded terrorists were killed, a J&K Police spokesperson said.

A large cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from the two slain terrorists, the official said, adding that no collateral damage has been reported.

Several documents related to jihad in Kashmir were also recovered from them, the official said. 

Of the two slain terrorists, one of them was identified as Zeenat-ul-Islam, who was long associated with the terror group al Badr, the official said,

Jammu&Kashmir: Two terrorists were killed in a joint operation last night by the Army, Police and CRPF in Kulgam. The terrorists have been identified as Zeenat-ul-Islam and Shakeel Ahmed Dar. Weapons and other warlike stores recovered. Operations concluded.

— ANI (@ANI) 13 January 2019

The other slain terrorist was identified as Shakeel Ahmed Dar, according to news agency ANI.

Zeenat, considered to be an Improvised explosive device (IED) expert, was earlier associated with another terror group Hizbul Mujahideen, the official said. 

On Friday, an Army Major and a jawan lost their lives in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.

An IED device was planted by suspected militants in Lam area of Nowshera sector, according to an Army spokesperson.