Jaish Commander Mufti Waqas, 'Mastermind of Sunjuwan Army Camp Attack', Killed in Kashmir Encounter
Besides Sunjuwan, Waqas was involved in the terror attacks perpetrated in Lethpora, Pulwama district police lines and the BSF camp at Srinagar airport last year, the J&K DGP said.
Srinagar, Mar 5: A top Jaish-e-Muhammad commander was killed in an encounter which ensued between the security forces and terrorists in South Kashmir's Pulwama on Monday. The deceased, identified as Mufti Waqas, masterminded a slew of recent terror assaults in Jammu and Kashmir, including the attack on Army's Sunjuwan camp last month which led to seven casualties.
Waqas, a Pakistani intruder, was holed up today in Hatwar area of Pulwama district's Awantipora region. The counter-terror operation was jointly executed by the Army, police and CRPF. Apart from eliminating the terrorist, the forces also recovered rifles and IED preparation materials.
SP Pani, IG Kashmir, confirmed the involvement of Waqas in the Sunjuwan camp attack perpetrated by the Jaish militants on February 10, killing six soldiers and one civilian.
J&K Director General of Police S P Vaid said the neutralization of Waqas would dent the activities of Jaish in the Valley. Besides Sunjuwan, he was involved in the terror attacks executed in Lethpora, Pulwama district police lines and the BSF camp at Srinagar airport last year, the DGP claimed.
An Army spokesperson while speaking to reporters said no collateral damage or any civilian casualty occurred during the counter-terror operation to eliminate Waqas.
Waqas' death is the second major blow to Jaish in the past four months, as the group's senior Kashmir commander Noor Mohammad Tantray was neutralised by the forces in Awantipora in December last year.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 05, 2018 08:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).