Top Jaish commander Fayaz Panzoo, associate gunned down in Kashmir's Bijbehara

Two terrorists, including a self-styled 'commander' of Jaish-e-Mohammad, were on Tuesday killed in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. "Fayaz Panzoo was killed along with his associate in an encounter based on a specific police input at Bijbehara in Anantnag district," a police official said. 

Panzoo was involved in the deadly attack on CRPF personnel at  Anantnag town on June 12 in which five CRPF men were killed and SHO Arshad Khan was seriously injured and later succumbed to injuries, the official said. The identity of the other slain militant is being ascertained, he added. The police official termed the killing of Panzoo as a "big achievement". 

Big achievement.Another top Commander of #Jaish Fayaz Panzoo killed along with his associate. He was involved in attack on CRPF at Anantnag town on June 12,2019 in which 5 CRPF Personnel were killed & SHO Arshad Khan was seriously injured who later succumbed to injuries. https://t.co/DCJLmJvyLS

— J&K Police (@JmuKmrPolice) July 30, 2019

"On a credible input, a cordon & search operation was launched jointly by police and security forces in Katoo Bijbehara area of District Anantnag. During the search operation, the hiding terrorists fired on the search party. The fire was retaliated leading to an encounter.
In the ensuing encounter, 02 terrorist were killed and the bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter.  The identities and affiliations of the killed terrorists is being ascertained," the police said in a statement.

"Incriminating material including arms & ammunition was recovered from the site of encounter. Pertinently, with the efforts of police and security forces, it was a clean operation and no collateral damage took place during the exchange of fire. Citizens are requested not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials. People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials if any," the statement added.