Army identifies militant killed in Poonch as HM Divisional Commander
Jammu Tawi, Aug 7: Security forces early Monday morning foiled an infiltration bid and eliminated two terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier on Sunday, one terrorist was killed while he was trying to sneak into the Indian Territory in the Khawas area of Rajouri district while the operation was still in progress.
Jammu-based Defence Spokesman, Lt Col Suneel Bartwal, said on Monday that contact was established by ambush in Poonch in the early morning at around 2 AM.
“Two individuals were observed moving across the LoC in the general area of Degwar Terva, Poonch,” said the spokesman. He added that in the firefight, one terrorist was seen dropping, and the second terrorist tried to run back to the Line of Control and was engaged, hit, and seen falling down near the LoC.
Asserting that Pakistan is trying to revive terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, the Defence Spokesman said Indian Army has identified the militant killed along the Line of Control in Poonch as Divisional Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen.
“The terrorist killed in Poonch has been identified on the basis of Police records as Muneer Hussain, resident of Bagyladra, Poonch and he was a dreaded terrorist and a Divisonal Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen,” he said.
He stated that in 1993, Muneer went to PoK, came back in 1996 and again returned to PoK in 1998. He has masterminded a number of attacks on security forces.
As per Police Records, the spokesman said that his family of two wives and children are residents of Surankote, Poonch.
Muneer Hussain was close associate of Maulana Dawood Kashmir (TuJ) who in turn is a close associate of Syed Salauddin (HM).
Recently, a high level meeting of HM group took place in Islamabad which he attended and agenda of meeting was revival of HM cadre in Rajouri-Poonch.
“From this, we can make out that Muneer Hussain along with his body guard were sent with the agenda of reviving HM in Rajouri-Poonch and South of Pir-Panjal (SPPR),” he said, adding that he was given a larger leadership role of Tanzeems and told to revive terrorism South of Pir Panjal.
Muneer Hussain was the top leader of HM and was the most dreaded terrorist killed in the last one decade in Rajouri and Poonch, the spokesman said adding, “it is evident that Pak is trying to send old terror veterans to J& K to motivate and recruit youth thus making desperate attempts to revive terrorism.”
The operation is being jointly carried out by the Indian Army and Police and is in progress.
