Initiating action against terrorist sympathizers, authorities in Jammu and Kashmir today demolished two houses belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists suspected of involvement in the Pahalgam terror attacks. The buildings were destroyed through controlled blasts during routine checking in the Tral area of South Kashmir.
In addition to demolishing the two buildings, security forces also eliminated an Over Ground Worker (OGW) of the LeT outfit in North Kashmir's Bandipora district.
According to reports, the first demolition took place on Thursday night during a search operation in the Anantnag district.
Security forces were reportedly conducting a search at the residence of Adil Hussain Thokar when explosives already planted inside the house detonated, leading to its destruction. Thokar is one of the key accused in the Pahalgam massacre that occurred on Tuesday.
Notably, Adil Hussain Thokar was among three terrorists suspected to be involved in the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 unarmed tourists from eleven different states.
Sketches of Thokar, along with two Pakistani terrorists—Hashim Mosa alias Suleman, a Pakistani national affiliated with the banned Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), and Ali Bhai alias Talha Bhai, another Pakistani national associated with LeT—were released on Wednesday.
Police had earlier announced a reward of ₹20 lakh for any information leading to the neutralization of each of the terrorists. The announcement came shortly after the release of their photographs and pencil sketches, created using inputs from survivors of the horrific attack.
In a separate incident on Friday in Moghama village of Tral, a blast partially damaged the house of Asif Sheikh, another LeT terrorist suspected of being involved in planning the attack.
During a search operation, security forces noticed suspicious objects and wires protruding from a box. They immediately retracted, and a team from the Indian Army Engineers later confirmed the presence of explosive material. The material was destroyed in situ, resulting in a blast that damaged the house.
Officials confirmed that there was no loss of life, as the area had been cleared and nearby houses evacuated in time.
OGW Killed in Encounter in Bandipora
An Over Ground Worker of the proscribed Lashkar-e-Toiba terror outfit was killed, and two security personnel were injured during an encounter in the Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.
Reports said security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation at Kulnar Bazipora in Bandipora district following intelligence about the presence of terrorists in the area. The operation turned into an encounter when the hiding terrorists opened fire on the security forces.
One terrorist associate and two policemen were injured in the exchange of fire. Officials later confirmed that the injured terrorist associate succumbed to his injuries.
