New Delhi: Indian forces on Monday are believed to have achieved a major success when they reportedly gunned down Abdul Rasheed Ghazi, the mastermind behind the Pulwama terror attack that claimed the lives of 42 CRPF jawans.
According to multiple reports, Mohammad Umair, a nephew of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Moulana Masood Azhar was also reportedly killed during the encounter, though an official confirmation is awaited.
Ghazi, who was an Afgan war veteran and IED specialist, had trained the 20-year-old Adil Dar, who had driven the explosive laden vehicle into the CRPF convoy, killing the soldiers.
In encounter that is still underway in Pinglana village of Pulwama district, India also lost three jawans and major ranking officer. One civilian also lost his life in the exchange of fire. The terrorrists were believed to be heavily armed.
TV footate showed the civilians, mostly youths, being asked to stay away from the site. Youths in the valley have been critical of the armed forces in the valley and had showed up in large numbers at the funeral of the militants, underlining the precarious situation in the valley.
“The moral of the security forces is high. They are being successful in neutralising the terrorist,” Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh tells news agency ANI, on the ongoing encounter in Pulwama, J&K.
The ongoing operation is being carried out by a joint team consisting of 55 Rashtriya Rifles, police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
