Kashmir: Close aide of Zakir Musa among six terrorists killed
On Saturday, six terrorists, including a close aide of Zakir Musa, Jammu and Kashmir's most-wanted terrorist, were killed in an encounter with Indian security forces. The encounter took place in the Pulwama district in J&K, and reportedly, the slain terrorists were affiliated with Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind, the al-Qaeda cell in J&K that is led by Musa. Here are the details.
Terrorists had reportedly opened fire during a search operation
J&K state police and the Indian Army had launched a cordon and search operation in the Awantipora area of the Pulwama district on Saturday, based on a tip-off about the presence of terrorists in the area. During the operation, the terrorists, who had been hiding in a house, opened fire on security forces. The ensuing encounter resulted in six terrorists getting killed.
Arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain terrorists
Indian security forces did not suffer any casualties or collateral damage in the encounter. Reportedly, among those killed was the deputy chief of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, Soliha Mohammad Akhoon, who is believed to have had close ties with Musa. Meanwhile, the identities of the other terrorists are being ascertained. After the encounter, weapons and ammunition were recovered from the terrorists.
Kashmir police's tweet about the encounter
A bit about Zakir Musa
Zakir Musa, formerly of the terrorist group Hizbul Mujahideen, is the successor of the slain Burhan Wani, and was named the commander of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind in 2017. He is currently one of the most wanted terrorist leaders in J&K, and is also said to have ties to Jaish-e-Mohammed. In November, Musa was reportedly spotted in Ferozepur, resulting in Punjab being put on high alert.
