Pulwama attack: Key conspirator killed in gunbattle, say security forces

Jaish-e-Mohammad’s Mudasir Ahmad Khan, a resident of Tral who had been active in the area since 2018, was one of two militants killed in the gunbattle with security personnel.

pulwama, pulwama conspirator killed, Mudasir Ahmad Khan, Jaish-e-Mohammad, jem, pulwama attack, pulwama terror attack, kashmir terrorism, indian army — Debris of a house destroyed in the gunbattle in the Pinglesh area of Tral, Monday. (PTI Photo)

Security forces Monday announced that the “main conspirator” behind the February 14 attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama that left 40 personnel dead had been killed in a gunbattle in Tral in South Kashmir Sunday night.

He was identified as Jaish-e-Mohammad’s Mudasir Ahmad Khan, a resident of Tral who had been active in the area since 2018. Mudasir was one of two militants killed in the gunbattle with security personnel.

Lt Gen K J S Dhillon, General Officer Commanding of Srinagar-based 15 Corps, addressing a joint press conference, said: “Mudasir was the main conspirator of the attack on the Pulwama training centre (in 2017) and also the Pulwama convoy attack… He helped, coordinated the Pulwama convoy attack.”

He said the Jaish leadership in the Valley had been targeted in different operations. “The main conspirators (of the Pulwama convoy attack), Kamran and Mudasir, were the main heads of Jaish-e-Mohammad. They have been eliminated. We had gone very forcefully after the Jaish-e-Mohammad in the last three weeks. The aim was to eliminate them at the earliest so that they are not able to carry a Pulwama-like attack again.”

Pulwama attack: Key conspirator killed in gunbattle, say security forces — A joint briefing by the Army, the CRPF and the Jammu and Kashmir Police at Chinar Corps headquarters at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Sonwar area of Srinagar on Monday. (Express Photo: Shuaib Masoodi)

“In 21 days, we have eliminated 18 terrorists, 14 of them from the Jaish-e-Mohammad. Six of them were in the A Plus category,” he said. “Our main emphasis after the February 14 convoy attack was the elimination of the Jaish-e-Mohammad leadership and we have been very successful in doing that.”

He said the first major operation after the Pulwama attack was on February 18 in which Kamran, another Jaish commander, was killed. “Operations against foreign terrorists and the JeM will continue till we eliminate all of them,” the GOC said.