Two Lashkar-e-Taiba Militants, Including Pakistan National Quari, Killed in Encounter in Jammu and Kashmir

Two Lashkar-e-Taiba militants, including a Pakistan national who was believed to have carried out previous attacks in Rajouri’s Dhangri and Kandi areas, were killed in an encounter with the Indian Army. The gunbattle took place in the Bazi Mal Upper forests, under the jurisdiction of Dharamsal police station in Rajouri’s Kalakote subdivision.

The Army identified the slain soldiers as Captain M V Pranjal, Captain Shubham Gupta, Havildar Abdul Majid, Lance Naik Sanjay Bisht, and Paratrooper Sachin Laur. One of the militants killed was identified as Quari, a highly ranked member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group. According to the Army, Quari was trained on the Pakistan and Afghanistan front and had been active in the Rajouri-Poonch region for the past year. He was known for fabricating improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and was a trained sniper.

Security forces had been conducting combing operations in the area for several days after receiving intelligence about the presence of five to six militants. Quari was part of a group staying in a temporary shelter abandoned by nomadic people who had migrated to the plains due to winter. While his accomplices managed to escape, security forces recovered an AK-47 rifle, three magazines, three grenades, and a pouch from Quari.

In recent months, Pakistan-based militant groups have been attempting to revive the terror network in the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch. The Army and police have successfully neutralized 27 militants along the Line of Control (LoC) and in the hinterland since the beginning of the year. However, 16 soldiers have lost their lives in encounters with militants during the same period.

The encounter on Wednesday is another blow to the efforts of militant groups to destabilize the region. The Indian security forces remain committed to maintaining peace and security in the area and will continue their operations against militants.