Srinagar: One of the three Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) terrorists killed by the security forces late on Monday night in a fierce encounter was the nephew of Pakistan-based terror outfit JeM chief Masood Azhar.
A senior police official while confirming the report said that JeM in a statement issued earlier in the day accepted that Masood Azhar’s nephew Talha Rasheed was among the three terrorists killed in the encounter with security forces in Aglar village of Pulwama district.
Azhar’s nephew Talha Rasheed was active in the Kashmir valley for over two years. His other associate from Pakistan was JeM’s divisional commander, said the police official.
IGP Kashmir zone, Muneer Khan said: “We will ask Pakistan to collect the body of Masood Azhar’s nephew as JeM has owned it. The matter will be taken up through proper channels.”
In the said encounter, an army soldier Sham Sunder of 44 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) was also martyred, besides minor injury to two other soldiers, said the police official.
He said that the security forces comprising troops of the 44 RR, the CRPF and Special Operations Group (SOG) of state police on the basis of intelligence inputs about the presence of some terrorists, had surrounded the village on Monday evening.
As the cordon was being tightened, the hiding terrorists fired at the security forces, triggering a fierce encounter in which the three JeM terrorists were killed. One of the slain terrorist was a local, said the police official.
Three weapons, including one Kalashnikov, one M16 rifle and one pistol, besides ammunition were recovered from the encounter site, said a police spokesman.
Internet services have been suspended in Pulwama district to check the spread of rumours.
Meanwhile, Army chief Bipin Rawat said Jaish’s acknowledgement is proof of terror emanating from Pakistan.
“This makes it clear that terrorists are getting support from across the border,” said Rawat.
He added that it’s of little concern to him that the nephew of the Pathankot attack mastermind was killed.
“Doesn’t matter if he is Masood Azhar’s nephew or anyone else, we aim at neutralizing all terrorists no matter where they belong,” said Rawat.