One of the longest surviving and most wanted militants of Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit and a Pakistani terrorist were killed in two separate gunfights with security forces on the outskirts of Srinagar city on Monday.
A police spokesperson said that based on ‘specific input’ regarding the presence of militants in the Harwan/Shalimar area of Srinagar, a search operation was launched. “The search party was fired upon indiscriminately by hiding terrorist, which was effectively retaliated leading to a brief shootout and elimination of a dreaded terrorist Saleem Parray, linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT,” he said.
Soon after the first shootout, another operation was carried out by the police, CRPF and Army in Gasu, Zakoora on Srinagar outskirts, the police said. “During the said operation, one foreign terrorist identified as Hafiz @ Hamza of Pakistan linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT was neutralised.”
Police said Saleem Parray was a categorised militant, active since 2016 and “involved in several civilian killings. Besides, he was also involved in throat slitting of many civilians in the Hajin area. He was also involved in providing logistic support to the terrorists operating in the area to carry terror attacks.”
“Parray had spread a reign of terror by abducting civilians and killing/torturing them in the name of informers. He was also involved in reviving the terror folds of proscribed terror outfit LeT in Hajan and its adjoining area,” the police said and added last year he had figured in the most wanted list of militants in Kashmir.
The second slain militant was identified as Hafiz alias Hamza, a Pakistani national who police said was involved in several militancy related crimes including the recent killing of two policemen in Bandipora on 10/12/21.
“After this terror crime, he shifted to Harwan area of Srinagar due to frequent cordon and search operations in Bandipora area. He was also involved in killing of a CRPF personnel at Hajin Bandipora and killing of a civilian in Soura area of Srinagar,” police added.
Check out latest DH videos here