The other two terrorists who were neutralised on Tuesday have been identified as Naveed Tak and Junaid Bhat.
Kashmir Zone Police in a tweet said, " #Awantipora #encounter update: 03 #killed #terrorists identified as Naveed Tak, Hamid Lone @ Hamid Lelhari and Junaid Bhat involved in several #terrorcrimes. #Arms & ammunition recovered. Case registered. @JmuKmrPolice
Addressing a press conference, Jammu and Kashmir DGP, Dilbagh Singh said “All the three militants neutralised were the locals of Awantipora-Pulwama belt and were a part of the AGuH. The command of the group was in Lelhari’s hand. He had motivated the two to join the group. The group was operating in connection with Jaish,”
Abdul Hameed Lone or Hameed Lelhari was the chief of terrorist Zakir Musa’s group Ansar Gazwatul Hind. The 30-year-old terrorist was made as the chief of AGuH after Musa’s death. He is a native of Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama.
In a video released on Eid, the al-Qaeda affiliate had announced Hameed Lelhari as new chief after death of Zakir Musa .
Abdul Hamid Lelhari was recruited in May in the year 2016 into Lashkar-e-Taiba. He then Joined Musa in March 2018.
Zakir Musa was al-Qaeda's head in Kashmir since July 27, 2017. He was earlier heading Hizbul Mujahideen, after the killing of Burhan Wani in 2016.
"We hope that with the killing of these terrorists, there will be a relief for people who have been living under threat and harassment for so many years," said Singh.