Terrorist killed in J-K's Bandipora, Hizbul Mujahideen cadre held in Handwara

SRINAGAR: An unidentified terrorist was killed in an encounter in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, while a Hizbul Mujahideen operative was arrested in Handwara in Kupwara district on Monday. The developments came a day after Union home minister Amit Shah held a review meeting in the wake of back-to-back terror attacks in Jammu, and directed security agencies to take steps to replicate in Jammu division the success achieved in containing terrorism in the Valley.
The gunfight broke out in the Gurihajin area of Aragam in Bandipora on Sunday night after the Army and J&K Police personnel, based on specific intelligence input, launched a joint cordon and search operation and were fired upon by the terrorists, Army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Corps said in a post on X.
While one body was spotted at the encounter site, searches were on to look for more terrorists in the area, an official said, adding that the identity of the slain terrorist was yet to be ascertained.
In Kupwara’s Handwara sub-district, security forces arrested a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist in a joint operation launched Sunday night.
Zakir Hamid Mir, a resident of Kachri in Chogal, was in touch with a Pakistan-based handler, Zahoor Ahmad Mir of Mirtigam in Handwara.
Handwara SP Dawood Ayoub said police received information about the presence of a terrorist waiting to carry out a terror attack, following which an operation was launched in coordination with Army’s 30 RR and other security agencies, and he was nabbed. A Chinese pistol, a hand grenade and two pistol magazines were recovered from Zakir’s possession.