Hizbul Mujahideen terror associate held with foreign pistol in J-K’s Poonch

Army’s Rashtriya Rifle unit attached to the Romeo Force, in a joint operation with Poonch police’s Special Operations Group (SOG), apprehended An active associate of the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), a banned terror outfit, from the Magnar area in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch.

According to an army statement, the terrorist identified as Mohammed Khalil was taken into custody by the Rashtriya Rifle of the Romeo Force on July 30.

The officials said that a foreign pistol was recovered from the terrorist. They have also traced an active WhatsApp number based in Pakistan, through which a handler was assigning tasks to Mohammed Khalil.

Security Forces also recovered one AK 47 and two Magazines according to the Dysp Operations in Rajouri.

The accused is in police custody and an investigation for further leads is undertaken, they added.

According to the officials, the accused was assigned tasks including collecting information about the area and guiding terrorists from one location to another.

Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of Home, a total of 28 people, including civilians and security personnel, were killed in 11 terror-initiated incidents and 24 encounters or counter-terror operations up to July 21 this year.

Responding to the query of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Pradeep Kumar Singh on behalf of the MHA, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai submitted a written reply in the Lower House pointing that there is a “decline in the number of terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir” compared to previous years.

The data mentions that a total of 14 security personnel and 14 civilians were killed up to July 21 this year, while the number of killings was 44 (30 security personnel and 14 civilians) in 46 terrorist-initiated incidents and 48 encounters or counter-terror operations in the Union Territory in 2023.

As per the data, 146 people (91 security personnel and 55 civilians) were killed in 228 terrorist-initiated incidents and 189 encounters or counter-terror operations in the erstwhile state in 2018.