New Delhi: A top Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant was killed in a gunbattle in south Kashmir on October 14. Eight militants have been killed in five separate encounters in the Valley in the past three days.
Police said top Jaish militant Shams-ud-din Sofi was killed in a gunfight in Waggad village of Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Sofi was one of the oldest militants, they said.
A joint team of J-K police, army, and paramilitary forces cordoned off the Tilwani Mohalla of Waggad village in Tral after specific inputs about the presence of militants. As the joint team was zeroing in on the target, the trapped militant opened fire.
“During the search operation, the militants were given repeated opportunities to surrender. However, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which was responded to, leading to an encounter,” police said in a statement. “In the ensuing encounter, one terrorist was killed … He has been identified as Shams-ud-din Sofi alias Sham Sofi, a top commander of proscribed terror outfit JeM,” said the statement.
Sofi, police said, joined the militant ranks in June 2019 and figured among the most wanted militants operating in the Valley.
Kashmir has seen a spurt in encounters since the civilian killings. Recently, five militants were killed in two gunfights in south Kashmir’s Shopian. Earlier, two militants were killed in as many gunbattles in the south and north Kashmir.
