Budgam: Police on Wednesday issued a detailed statement on slain Lashkar e Taiba commander Naveed Jatt, who was killed along with his associate in Budgam gunfight.
Police said that the cordon & search operation was launched in the predawn hours today based on a credible input about the presence of militants in Kuthpora Chattergam area of District Budgam, and was jointly conducted by Police and other government forces.
In the encounter, two militants were killed and the bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter.
“Among the two killed, one has been identified as Naveed Jatt alias Hanzalla who was known as commander of LeT,” police said.
The police said that Jatt was wanted in a series of militant activities including killing of noted journalist Shujaat Bukhari, attacks on forces establishments.
“As per his earlier disclosure, Naveed Jatt alias Hanzalla was born in Multan Pakistan. He was part of Ajmal Kasab group at a Madrassa in Pakistan where he had undergone arms training. As per police records, in October 2012, Naveed Jatt along with his associates had crossed over into the valley of Kashmir. He had a long history of records since 2012,” Police said.
Jatt, according to police, was involved in killing of an ASI in Pulwama on May 2013, series of grenade attacks on security forces and was involved in killing of CRPF personnel at Awneera Shopian in August 2013, involved in conspiring and executing several bank robberies and attacks in South Kashmir including attack on Court Complex Pulwama on March 2014 in which two policemen were killed, attack on polling party in Shopian on April 2014 in which one presiding officer namely Zai-ul-Haq Wani was killed, attack on police party at Bongam Shopian on June 2014 in which several civilians and policemen were injured.
“He was apprehended by police in June 2014, however, he managed to escape from the custody in the month of February 2018 while he was being taken to SMHS hospital Srinagar for medical treatment from Central Jail Srinagar. In a shootout that took place at the hospital two policemen were killed. He also figured as a suspect in case FIR No. 51/2018 in P/S Kothi Bagh pertaining to the assassination of Shujaat Bukhari and his security personnel. In the aforementioned case, which is under investigation a hue & cry notice was issued against Naveed Jatt and three others on the basis of material evidence collected,” police said.
Police claimed to have recovered arms and ammunition from the site of encounter.
“All these materials have been taken for case records and probe their complicity in other cases. Police has registered a case and initiated investigation in the matter,” police said.
“Since Naveed Jatt is a Pakistani national, following the procedure competent authorities shall be approached in Govt of India for taking up the matter with Pakistan for handing over his body to them,” police said.
