Srinagar

A Pakistani terrorist identified as Abu Khalid who was a group commander of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, was killed in an encounter in Srinagar, the Jammu and Kashmir police said on Sunday.

"Based on specific input generated by Srinagar Police regarding the presence of a terrorist in Theed Harwan area of Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by the police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Army in the said area," the police said in a statement.

It said that during the search operation the terrorist was asked to surrender but instead he fired on the joint search party. He was killed in retaliatory fire. His body was retrieved from the site of the encounter.

"He has been identified as Safiulla alias Abu Khalid, Shawaz resident of Karachi Pakistan," the statement added.

According to police records, Saifulla was a listed terrorist linked to the LeT and had infiltrated in 2016 via Bandipora Sector.

He is said to have sneaked into Srinagar later on the directions of Pakistan-based commanders of LeT for intensifying terror attacks in the districts of Pulwama, Srinagar, Ganderbal and Budgam.

Police said he also had a history of terror crime cases and was wanted by the law for his complicity in a number of cases.

"He along with his associates was involved in the attack on Army Convoy on NHW Bemina Bye-pass Srinagar near JVC Hospital Srinagar in 2017, resulting in injuries to three Army Jawans. He was also the mastermind behind the attack carried out by his associates at Lawaypora Srinagar in which two SF personnel were martyred and one AK-47 rifle was also snatched," the police statement said.

The terrorist was also involved in an attack on the police party of Police Station Bandipora in which two police personnel were killed. Besides, attacks on Police or security forces, he was also involved in civilian killings which include the murder of BJP leader Waseem Bari, his brother and his father in 2020, the police said.