Srinagar, April 28 (KNO) : An intelligence-driven brief operation at Awantipore at Anantnag district in March this year that led to the killing of Jaish-e-Muhammad commander Mufti Waqas has set a ball rolling for the “systematic operations” in Kashmir with a sole aim of killing militant leaders without collateral damage. The plan, a source said, will be part of new summer strategy of police this year. Waqas, who was the operational commander for Jaish, was killed in a “clean and deliberate” operation at Hatiwara village of Awantipore in Anantnag district, in a joint operation by police, army and the paramilitary CRPF after a specific human intelligence about his presence in a particular house in early March this year.
A senior army official, wishing not to be named, said that Waqas was killed in a “surgical operation”, which put on display the capability of army and other security agencies with regard to conducting operations in a “most clean manner, without causing a collateral damage.” “The focus has to be on similar operations as that would leave the forces involved in the act more contented,” he said. A source in the security grid said that with Waqas’s killing in an operation that barely lasted for 45 minutes, process to launch “systematic operations” based on right intelligence has been set rolling in Kashmir.
“The main motive to conduct such operations is to avoid confrontation with the local population of the area where militant leader or a militant takes shelter,” he said. “Waqas, didn’t even get time to fire even a single bullet at the forces.” The source said a weapon and documentary material suggesting how IEDs are made were recovered from the possession of slain Waqas. Forces have been facing serious criticism for killing local protestors at the site of encounters. A top Police officer said the killing of Waqas was a “big success” for police.
“He was involved in organising various attacks on forces installations. The beauty of the operation in which he was killed was clean. It was an operation where we didn’t announce that we want to kill him,” he said. The officer said it was a “right intelligence” on which police and other forces worked very hard. “We will have to carry on this (right intelligence) to avoid unnecessary confrontation or law and order problem,” he said. A police source said in his early 30’s, Waqas had infiltrated into this side in 2017, second time, with an assignment to revive Jaish-e-Muhammad in Kashmir.
A resident of Bahawalpur, Pakistan, he had earlier operated in Kashmir during 2007 and exfiltrated to Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK). Since 2017, he was in touch with local Jaish commander Noor Muhammad Trali, who had jumped parole, the source said. “Trali and Waqas had set up a base in Pulwama district and the duo were planning major strikes on forces’ installations besides roping in local boys into Jaish outfit,” the source said. Trali was killed just a few kilometres away from Hatwara village, on December 17 last year. Police had declared him the main recruiter of Jaish outfit.
The official said that since June 2017, Jaish had been planning major strikes on forces’ installations which include district police lines (DPL) Pulwama, BSF camp near Srinagar airport and the latest at Sunjwan army camp in Jammu region. One of the biggest groups of Jaish-e-Muhammad outfit had managed to infiltrate last year through Pir Panchal comprising some 18 members and according to police, the group was almost wiped out. On November 17, last year, Jaish chief, Moulana Masood Azhar’s nephew, Talha Rashid was also killed in an encounter at Pulwama district. A US-made M4-carbine was also recovered from the possession of Rashid.