Indian army yet again gunned down a terrorist in Tral. And, this time it is the most wanted terrorist in Kashmir, Zakir Musa. He was the commander of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, a group affiliated with Al-Qaeda who has been killed in Badipora Locality of Dadasra area of south Kashmir’s Tral, yesterday evening.
Musa Refused To Surrender
The house where Musa was caught up was completely destroyed in the fire-fight. Police sources said, Musa refused to surrender and tossed grenades when surrounded by security forces on Thursday. After he refused the offer, there was an open fire leading to a gunfight between the armed forces and Musa. It continued for several hours and ended early Friday, resulting into death of Musa.
Major success for the Indian Army
Describing it “a major success”, the police said the body of Musa was trapped inside a three-story house in Tral’s Dadsara area on Thursday afternoon. He was found near the encounter site on Friday morning. One AK-47 and one grenade launcher were recovered from the encounter site. The officials said more security forces were rushed to the area to prevent the terrorists from escaping under the cover of darkness.
Musa Comes From A Wealthy Family
Musa, who hailed from Noorpora area of Tral came from a wealthy family. Musa’s father Abdul Rashid Bhat is a retired assistant executive engineer. His elder brother Shakir Rashid Bhat is an orthopedic surgeon and his sister Shaheena Rashid Bhat is a banker.
According to the police records, Musa had a long history of terror crime records since 2013. He was initially associated with proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen but later floated new outfit Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.
Officials Confirm
A top police officer told, “Musa had come to visit his home after a long time. But before we could surround him there, he escaped and hid in the nearby forest. We then cordoned off the area and trapped him. He was offered to surrender, but he didn’t oblige.”
“The terrorist was later identified as Zakir Musa after the body was recovered Friday morning. Weapons and war-like stores were recovered from the encounter site,” he added. Source: N18
Musa was declared a proclaimed offender by a court of the National Investigation Agency in Punjab’s Mohali earlier this month in connection with serial blasts in Jalandhar in September last year.
However, the body was handed over to his family for last rites today morning. It was later buried in Pulwama’s Tral. The authorities imposed curfew-like restrictions in vast parts of the Valley, especially south Kashmir and capital Srinagar.
