Kashmir: 1 A+ terrorist down, 20 to go

On Sunday, the security agencies killed two terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba in an encounter in Kashmir. Among them was Shakoor Ahmed Dar of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba.

Dan's name was part of the hit-list comprising 21 terrorists that the Army had prepared last week. Dar was the outfit's commander in Kulgam. He was a Category A+ terrorist.

On Sunday, two terrorists were killed while one surrendered following an encounter at Kulgam.

The police said that a tip-off had been received about the presence of some militants in the Chedar Ban area of Qaimoh in Kulgam district, after which a joint team of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Army and the CRPF, cordoned off the suspect house this afternoon.

"As the joint patrol approached towards the suspect house, a group of terrorists hiding inside fired indiscriminately on the security forces, to which forces retaliated cautiously leading to an encounter in the area," the police said in a statement, adding that two terrorists hiding inside the house were successfully eliminated by the security forces.

Dar, a resident of Sopat Tengpora of Kulgam, was operating as the divisional commander of proscribed terror outfit LeT and several terror-related cases were registered against him in different police stations of south Kashmir. He was involved in a number of other civilian atrocities and attack on security establishments in the area, police said.

The hit-list:

Hizbul Mujahideen:

• Mohd Ashraf Khan alias Ashraf Moulvi: A resident of Kokernag, Anantnag, Ashraf is an A+ category militant.
• Altaf Ahmad Dar alias Altaf Kachroo: Altaf, an A++ category militant, is a resident of Haoora, Kulgam.
• Mohd Abbas Sheikh: Category A++, he is a resident of Kulgam.
• Umar Majeed Ganai: A resident of Such, Kulgam, Ganai he is listed as an A++ terrorist.
• Saifullah Mir: Mir is the district commander of the outfit in Pulwama.
• Zeenat - ul - Islam: A resident of Sugan, Shopian, he is an A++ category terrorist.
• Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo: A resident of Tokun, Awantipur, Naikoo is the chief commander of the outfit.
• Latif Ahmad Dar or Haroon: A resident of Dogirpur, Awantipur, he is an A category terrorist.
• Umar Fayaz Lone: A resident of Tral, Awantipur, Lone is an A category terrorist.
• Manan Wani: He is said to be an AMU research scholar. A resident of Kupwara, he is B category terrorist.
• Junaid Ashraf Sehrai: The son of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Chairman Ashraf Sehrai, he is a category B terrorist.

Lashkar-e-Tayiba:

• Abu Muslim: He is a resident of Pakistan who operates in Hajan.
• Abu Zargam alias Mohd Bhai: A resident of Pakistan he is a Category A+ terrorist.
• Azad Ahmad Malik alias Dada: He is a resident of Malikpura, Bijbiara, Anantag and is an A category terrorist.
• Mohd Naveed Jad: A resident of Pakistan, he operates in Pulwama.
• Riyaz Ahmad Dar: A resident of Sethargun, Pulwama, Dar is an A category terrorist.
• Mustaq Ahmad Mir: A resident of Chak Cholan, Shopian, Mir is a category A++ terrorist active since 2014.

Jaish-e-Mohammad:

• Zahid Ahmad Wani: He is a resident of Karimabad, Pulwama
• Mudasir Ahmad Khan: He is a resident of Midur
• Ansar Ghazwat ul-Hind
• Zakir Rashid Bhat: Zakir Musa is an A++ militant who joined in July 2013. He had quit the Hizbul Mujahideen to form the Ansar.