NEW DELHI: The anti-terror operation that led to the elimination of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander in Jammu and Kashmir witnessed the role of a key ammunition- biscuits! Senior officials revealed that this simple snack played a crucial role in mitigating a significant challenge during the mission against Usman, who was armed with AK-47 pistol. The challenge were the stray dogs.
Usman was killed on Saturday after a day-long encounter in the densely populated Khanyar locality of downtown Srinagar, marking the first major gunfight in the summer capital in over two years. The operation was a collaborative effort between local police and the Central Reserve Police Force.
The presence of stray dogs, whose barking risked alerting the terrorist, was major concern for the security forces during the operation, news agency PTI reported.
To address this, search teams were equipped with biscuits to pacify the dogs as they approached their target, illustrating the lengths to which the authorities were willing to go to ensure the mission’s success.
The entire operation was initiated before pre-dawn prayers, with forces cordoning off a cluster of 30 homes.
As the standoff escalated, Usman, armed with pistol, and numerous grenades, engaged in fierce gunfire with the security personnel.
After several hours of intense gunfire, Usman was neutralized, though four security personnel sustained injuries. They are currently reported to be in stable condition.
Hours after the operation, a grenade attack at ‘Sunday market’ in Srinagar left at least 11 injured. J&K CM Omar Abdullah termed the attack “deeply disturbing.”
“The last few days have been dominated by headlines of attacks & encounters in parts of the valley. Today’s news of a grenade attack on innocent shoppers at the ‘Sunday market’ in Srinagar is deeply disturbing. There can be no justification for targeting innocent civilians. The security apparatus must do everything possible to end this spurt of attacks at the earliest so that people can go about their lives without any fear,” he said.