Last surviving terrorist involved in 2019 Pulwama attack likely killed in Anantnag encounter

Jammu and Kashmir Police said the picture of one of the three terrorists killed in the Anantnag encounter matched with that of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM)'s top commander Samir Dar.

File Photo (ANI)

New Delhi: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday (January 1) said that one of the slain terrorists killed in the December 30 Anantnag encounter is possibly Samir Dar, the last surviving terrorist involved in the 2019 Pulwama attack. 

IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that the picture of one of the terrorists killed in Anantnag matches with Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM)'s top commander Samir Dar.

"We are going for DNA sample matching," Kumar added.

The picture of one of the killed #terrorists in #AnantnagEncounter on Dec-30th matches with JeM top commander Samir Dar, who was the last surviving terrorist involved in Lethpora #Pulwama #TerrorAttack. We are going for DNA sample matching: IGP Kashmir@JmuKmrPolice — Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) January 1, 2022

Sources in the police said that DNA samples have been taken and that the family is being brought to Anantnag to identify pictures and videos and to give samples for DNA matching.

This is noteworthy as many as 40 CRPF personnel were killed in the attack on February 14, 2019.

Earlier, Police had informed that three JeM terrorists were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of the encounter that took place at the Nowgam Dooru area of the South Kashmir district on Thursday.

Police had then identified those killed as Sultan alias Rayees alias Mavia (a foreign terrorist), Nisar Ahmad Khanday, a resident of Dudwangan Kapran, and Altaf Ahmad Shah, a resident of Nathipora Dooru.

The IGP had said that Shah and Sultan along with another terrorist Suhail Rather were involved in an attack at Zewan Srinagar in which three policemen were killed and 11 others injured. Rather was killed in a separate encounter at Pantah Chowk on Saturday. 

(With inputs from PTI)