The three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists killed in a fierce encounter with the police and security forces at Sopore in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Monday have been identified, officials said.

The police said during the intervening night of June 20/21, acting on specific information generated by the Sopore police about the presence of terrorists in the Gundibrath area of Sopore, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by the police, the CRPF, and the army.

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“As the presence of the terrorists got ascertained, they were given an opportunity to surrender. However, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which was retaliated, leading to an encounter. In the initial exchange of fire, one army jawan got injured,” the police said.

In the ensuing encounter, three terrorists, including a top LeT commander, were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of the encounter, the police said.

The slain terrorists have been identified as Mudasir Ahmad Pandith alias Muda from Dangerpora Sopore, Khursheed Ahmad Mir from Brath Kalan, and Abdullah alias Asrar, a Pakistani terrorist.

“All the killed terrorists were linked to the proscribed terror outfit LeT, while Mudasir Pandith was the commander of the LeT for North Kashmir,” the police said.

As per records, all the slain terrorists were part of a group involved in various terror crimes, and several cases were registered against them, including for the attack on the municipal office in Sopore on March 29, in which two councillors and one policeman were killed.

They were also involved in the attack on a police party on June 12 at the Main Chowk in Sopore, in which two police personnel and two civilians were killed and two other police personnel and two civilians were injured.

“Mudasir Pandit had a long history of terror crimes, including attacks on police/security forces and civilian atrocities. Besides his involvement in the above-mentioned crimes, he was also involved in the attack on fruit merchants at Dangerpora in September 2019, in which four civilians got injured.

“Moreover, he was also involved in the killing of several ex-militants, Hurriyat activists, and sarpanches in the Sopore area. Khursheed Mir, who was part of this group, was involved in the attack on CRPF personnel at the Lawaypora area of Srinagar on March 25, in which three CRPF troopers were killed,” the police said.

Slain foreign terrorist Abdullah alias Asrar was active in North Kashmir since 2018, and several cases were registered against him for his involvement in civilian atrocities and attacks on security forces.

Arms, ammunition, and other incriminating materials were recovered from the site of the encounter.