Eliminated Jaish leadership that planned Pulwama attack within 100 hours, says army

Lt Gen KS Dhillon said that the car bombing of the CRPF convoy had been controlled from across the border by Pakistan’s spy agency.

The Indian Army has eliminated the Jaish-e-Mohammad leadership that planned and executed the February 14 Pulwama attack within 100 hours of the attack on the convoy. This was stated by Lt Gen KS Dhillon, 15 Corps Commander, at a press briefing in Srinagar on Tuesday.

A major and three soldiers were among those who were killed in the 17-hour-long encounter on Monday in which the three Jaish-e-Mohammad leaders were killed.

Lt Gen KS Dhillon said that the car bombing at Pulwama that had killed 40 CRPF jawans was controlled from across the border by Pakistan’s spy agency ISI.

Lt Gen Dhillon’s media briefing came a day after three Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists were eliminated in an operation that last more than 17 hours in Pulwama. Four soldiers and a Kashmir police constable were also killed in the encounter.

“We were tracking the Jaish-e-Mohammed leadership. We are happy to inform that we eliminated the Jaish leadership in the Valley, which was controlled by Pakistan in less than 100 hours after the Pulwama attack,” said Lt Gen KS Dhillon.

The three Jaish terrorists who were killed in Monday’s encounter in Pulwama included Kamran, a Pakistani and a top commander of the Jaish and a key aide of Jaish-e-Mohammed’s Pakistan-based chief Masood Azhar. Kamran is believed to have planned and executed the Pulwama attack and is said to have handled Adil Ahmad Dar, the suicide bomber.

The other terrorists who were killed in the encounter were Hilal Ahmad a local Kashmiri bomb specialist, and Rashid, who hails from Pakistan.

At the same time, Lt Gen Dhillon also issued a request and a warning to the mothers in the Valley.

“Anyone who has picked up a gun will be killed and eliminated, unless he surrenders. I request all the mothers in the Valley to ensure that their sons don’t take up the gun,” Lt Gen Dhillon said.

“In a Kashmiri society, mother has a great role to play. Through you, I would request the mothers of Kashmir to please request their sons who have joined terrorism to surrender and get back to the mainstream. Anyone who has picked up the gun will be killed and eliminated, unless he surrenders,” Lt Gen Dhillon reiterated.

Stating that the army had a hard stand on terrorism in the Valley, he said, “Our focus is clear on counter-terrorism operations. We are very clear that anyone who enters Kashmir Valley will not go back alive.”

Saying that the type of car bomb attack that took place in Pulwama had happened after a long time in Kashmir, Lt Gen Dhillon said that army would keep all options open to deal with these kind of attacks.

He also said that the investigation on the CRPF had given them insights into the kind of explosives used.

“We have leads on the type of explosives used but I can’t share the details as an investigation is underway,” Lt Gen Dhillon said.

Speaking at the same press conference, Zulfiquar Hasan, IG CRPF, said that the incident took place because of an IED-laden civilian car.

“The Road Opening Party (ROP) had secured the highway. Now, the standard operating procedure (SOP) on civilian cars will be changed, Hasan said.

Courtesy : hindustantimes