In an operation that commenced at 05:30 this morning the security forces have eliminated five terrorists including Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Saddam Padder in South Kashmir’s Shopian district. The Director-General of Police S.P. Vaid informed that the operation was carried out in Badigam-Zainpora in Shopian and five bodies have been recovered.
https://twitter.com/spvaid/status/993006658191331328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The security forces had launched a ‘search and cordon’ after receiving specific information about presence of militants in the area. The security forces were fired upon by the militants after they were pinned down during the operation. Then the security forces used public address system to persuade the militants to surrender peacefully but to no avail.
Hizbul Mujahideen commander Saddam Padder, a close associate of slain militant Burhan Wani, was among the five terrorists eliminated. One of them was Dr. Muhammad Rafi, the missing assistant professor of the Kashmir University, who went missing two days ago. He was a contractual professor at the university and a resident of Chundina area of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. The police had filed a missing report after their were rumours of him having joined the militants. Security forces had earlier gunned down three other terrorists a day ago in a similar operation in Tabela Chattabal in Safakadal.
https://twitter.com/spvaid/status/992663839547195392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
An army jawan and a policeman were injured during the operation. One youth was also injured who was taken to Srinagar hospital.