New Delhi, March 12
The Uttar Pradesh police has killed a dreaded militant of a Pakistan-based outfit, Jaish-e-Mohammad, in an encounter. The militant reportedly planned to carry out a repeat of the December 13 attack on Parliament and target India Gate and Mumbai bourse. The encounter took place in the adjoining township of Noida early this morning.
Manzoor Dar alias Sirajuddin Khan, JeM area commander of Baramulla district in Jammu and Kashmir, was killed at around 2:30 am in Sector 34 of Noida in an exchange of fire set off when he fired at the police while driving his vehicle from Delhi to Moradabad, SP, Noida, Vijay Bhushan Singh, said.
The police retaliated and the encounter lasted for 15 minutes. An AK-47 rifle, its two magazines, two hand grenades and a large quantity of ammunitions were seized from him, the SP said.
He said the militant fired 37 bullets at a joint team of the police and the STF.
PTI adds: Dar had come to Delhi in September last year and carried out a
race of Parliament House, India Gate and some other crowded places, STF SSP Rajiv Ranjan Verma, who led the operation, said.
Later, he travelled to Mumbai where he conducted a survey of Mumbai Stock Exchange and other crowded places with an intention of carrying out an attack, he added.
Mr Verma said the police learnt of Dar’s whereabouts following the arrest of his two associates, Ejaz Hussain and
Mehraj, two days ago in Muzaffarnagar, following which a trap was laid for the JeM
militant. A search operation is on to trace some more associates of Dar.
