Pulwama attack mastermind Kamran gunned down in Pinglan, NSA Doval briefs PM Modi

Kamran, a top Jaish-e-Mohammed commander, believed to be the mastermind of the Pulwama terror attack was gunned down in a 12-hour-long operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pingalan area, sources told News Nation on Monday. The Indian Army is yet to make an official announcement. The overnight operation by the Rashtriya Rifles, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police was conducted after a specific tip-off. News Nation has learnt that National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the successful mission.

 

#WATCH Police in #Pulwama appeals to locals to leave the site of Pulwama encounter. Four 55 Rashtriya Rifles personnel have lost their lives & one injured and two terrorists neutralised in the ongoing operation. (Visuals deferred by unspecified time) #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/q2X13OitXX

— ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2019

Four army men including a Major were also killed during the encounter. The army men killed in today’s encounter have been identified as Major VS Dhoundiyal, Havaldar Sheo Ram, Sepoy Ajay Kumar and Sepoy Hari Singh. Apart from military personnel, one civilian was reportedly killed during the gun battle.

A local terrorist Hilal Ahmad was also killed in the encounter. 

After the encounter, there was some reports saying that another terrorist killed in the encounter was said to be Abdul Rashid Ghazi. However, it is known that anyone who comes from Afghanistan is known as ‘Ghazi’. And Kamran used Ghazi in his name, which created some confusion. Had security forces managed to neutralise Abdul Rashid Ghazi, it would have been a major success for the security forces. Because before the Pulwama attack, the intelligence officials had intercepted movement of Abdul Rashid Ghazi, the distant relative of Masood Azhar. The Afghan war veteran is said to be an IED expert and was sent by the Jaish-e-Mohammed chief to avenge the killings of his nephews.