[Reader-list] 'IM terrorists' from Kerala shot dead in Kashmir

[Aditya Raj Kaul]

'IM terrorists' from Kerala shot dead in Kashmir

*CNN-IBN* <http://www.ibnlive.com/news/agency/CNN-IBN/>
*New Delhi:* In the first incident of its kind, J-K police on Tuesday
claimed to have killed two Keralite militants during a gunfight in border
district of Kupwara.

But the Kerala police claimed the identification papers found on the two
alleged militants were forged.

Security forces in Kashmir had shot dead the two militants – suspected to be
Indian Mujahideen operatives – while trying to enter
Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir to get training from Lashkar-e-Toiba.

The Army had claimed they were from the Malappuram district in Kerala and
were allegedly planning to return to India and carry out attacks.

According to intelligence agencies, this group was operating from Kupwara
for the last 20 days.

A hunt is on for three men who escaped.

Kerala terrorists in Kashmir shootout?
Delhi/Srinagar/Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 8 (IANS) The killing of two suspected
terrorists in the Kashmir Valley this week has led to three versions. While
officials in Kashmir say the two were from Kerala, intelligence sources in
Delhi believe only one was from the state. The Kerala Police is denying all
links. The only certainty is that the two terrorists killed in Kashmir's
Lolab Valley in Kupwara district, about 130 km from the summer capital
Srinagar, were from the Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Kashmir's Inspector General of Police B. Srinivas said two militants, who he
maintained were from Kerala, were killed in separate encounters earlier this
week.

"Yes, we have killed two terrorists in two separate encounters earlier this
week, both of whom belong to Kerala," he said.

"They belonged to the Lashkar-e-Taiba group and their code names are Yasin
and Fayaz," he said, adding that one was killed Monday and the other Tuesday
in joint operations of the police and the army.

Asked whether the slain guerrillas from Kerala had any links with the Indian
Mujahideen that is said to have carried out the recent bombings in Delhi,
Srinivas said: "It would be premature to make a comment like that. We have
got in touch with the Kerala Police to establish the background of the slain
terrorists."

However, intelligence sources in Delhi maintain that while two Lashkar
militants were killed, only one was from Kerala — identified as Mohammed
Sakeer from Kovalam.

The sources pointed out this was the first time in the nearly two decades of
militancy in the state that such a connection had emerged. The militants
gunned down were part of a group trying to sneak into Pakistani Kashmir and
a hunt had been mounted for the others who reportedly escaped during the
brief exchange.

"This is certainly disturbing and we are exploring how strong are the links
of Kerala jehadists with Pakistani militant groups and if more have
exfiltrated for training," said a top intelligence functionary.

The Kerala Police added a new twist to the tale saying that none belonged to
the state.

Kerala Inspector General of Police Arun Kumar Sinha said the issue rose
after an identity card found on one of the two killed belonged to a person
in Malappuram.

"Mohammed Sakeer is very much in Malappuram and we also made detailed
inquires in Kovalam where there were reports that one of the killed had
links here in Kovalam. Our detailed inquires have revealed that there is no
Kerala connection with the two killed (in) Jammu and Kashmir," said Sinha.

A team of the Kerala Police is scheduled to visit the valley to carry out an
identification process.