June 12:`Police and security forces have neutralized three terrorists of proscribed terror outfit LeT in an overnight anti-terrorist operation in South Kashmir’s Pulwama District including the killer of police personnel Martyr Reyaz Ahmad.

Yesterday, at about 1855hrs, acting on specific information generated by Police regarding presence of terrorists in village Drabgam area of Pulwama, a joint cordon & search operation was launched by Police, Army (44RR) & CRPF (182/183Bn) in the said area.

During the search operation, as the joint party approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter.

In the ensuing encounter, three local terrorists of proscribed terror outfit LeT were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. They have been identified as Junaid Ahmad Sheergojri of Gadoora Pulwama, Fazil Nazir Bhat of Drabgam Pulwama and Irfan Ahmad Malik of Arabal Nikas Pulwama.

As per police records, all the three killed terrorists were part of groups involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on Police/SFs and civilian atrocities. The killed terrorist Junaid Sheergojri along with his associate Abid Hussain Shah of Monghama Pulwama, who stands neutralised on 30/05/2022, was involved in killing of police personnel Reyaz Ahmad at his residential house on 13th May 2022. Besides, he was also involved in recent attack on outside labourers at a brick kiln in Chadoora on 02/06/2022 in the outskirts of Pulwama-Budgam axis in which one labourer was killed and others injured.

Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition including 02 AK-47 rifles and 01 Pistol have been recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation.

IGP Kashmir Shri Vijay Kumar congratulated the joint teams for carrying out the anti-terrorist operation in professional manner without any collateral damage. He also appreciated the joint team for tracking & neutralizing the terrorists involved in the recent killing of policeman in Pulwama.

In this regard, a case under relevant sections of law has been registered and investigation has been initiated. People are requested to cooperate with Police till the area at encounter site is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials, if any.```