Sunjwan attack mastermind, JeM terrorist Mufti Waqas, killed by forces

Security forces on Monday gunned down Sunjwan attack mastermind and Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist Mufti Waqas in an encounter in Awantipora area of south Kashmir. Acting on intelligence input, a team of Army along with elite SOG cordoned off the Hatiwara area in Awantipora to attack a house when the terrorist was hiding.

Mastermind of the Sunjwan attack, wherein at least five soldiers were martyred, Waqas had infiltrated into the Valley in 2017 from Pakistan to work in Jammu and Kashmir as the operational commander of JeM.

The death of his encounter was confirmed on microblogging site Twitter by Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police SP Vaid. He tweeted, “Jaish commander Mufti Vakas has been killed in an encounter at Hatiwara Awantipora. He was Cheif Commander of JEM in J&K & master mind of suicidal attacks of Sunjuwan , Lethpora , Pulwama DPL and BSF at Srinagar airport.”

Sujwan attack by JeM on an 36 brigade of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry was carried out in the wee hours of February 10. As many as five soldiers were martyred during the operation that went on for hours. The security forces had killed three terrorists in the attack.

Pakistan had denied its role in the audacious attack, saying the Indian officials and its media were making "irresponsible" statements even before conducting a proper investigation into the incident.

Reacting to the issue, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson accused India of running a "smear campaign against Islamabad and the deliberate creation of war hysteria."

"It is a well-established pattern that Indian officials begin making irresponsible statements and levelling unfounded allegations, even before a proper investigation into any incident has been initiated," the Foreign Office spokesperson had said when asked about the attack on Sunjwan Army camp in Jammu.

"A particular segment in the Indian media runs with their innuendos to malign Pakistan and whips up public frenzy. We are confident that the world community would take due cognisance of India's smear campaign against Pakistan, and the deliberate creation of war hysteria," he had said.