New Delhi: In a major win for the security forces, Jaish-e-Muhammad Kashmir commander in chief, known only as Khalid, was killed in an encounter in Baramulla on Monday.
Khalid was among the top five wanted A++ militants active in Kashmir, responsible for the recent attack near the Srinagar airport, that killed one BSF jawan.
The encounter started at 9.11 am in Ladoora in the district when Khalid fired at a police special operations group (SOG) party.
“We immediately rushed 179, 177, 92 battalions of our paramilitary forces. Subsequently 32 Rashtriya Rifles also reached the spot and we together started a cordon and search operation. Jaish cadres generally move in groups of at least four. But this time, we caught him alone which is why the operation was over in a short span,” said CRPF sources.
Khalid, who has been identified as a Pakistani native has been overseeing Jaish activities for the last three years, at least. Top sources in the state police department told CNN-News18 that he was one of the top militants in North Kashmir, who had lived in the valley as a local thus strengthening the Jaish network.
Khalid is believed to have trained and infiltrated from Pakistan and was active in north Kashmir’s Sopore area. He is believed to have a hand behind the suicide attack on District Police Lines in south Kashmir district Pulwama a month ago, that killed four CRPF men and four policemen, thus making his killing one of the biggest catches for the security forces this year.
Jaish also claimed responsibility for the recent attack on a paramilitary complex near the Srinagar airport that killed one BSF jawan.
Khalid’s name had cropped up for the first time in October 2016, when the Army busted a JeM module in Baramulla. Police officials had then said that the module, headed by Khalid, was responsible for the attack on an army convoy in Baramulla in August that year, which killed two Army men and one cop.
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