Biscuits played a key role in the killing of Usman, a commander of the Pakistan-based terror organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), during an anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir. The high-profile terrorist commander was killed in a day-long encounter in Srinagar's highly-populated Khanyar locality on Saturday.
This was the first significant encounter in Srinagar in more than two years and involved the local police and the Central Reserve Police Force, PTI reported.
The anti-terror operation was not that easy as Usman was present in a residential area that had stray dogs, whose barking could potentially alert the terrorist. Search teams took the help of biscuits to pacify the dogs as they approached Usman. Security forces cordoned off a cluster of 30 homes before Fajar (pre-dawn prayers).
Usman Fired At Security Forces
But Usman -- armed with an AK-47, a pistol, and numerous grenades -- engaged in a fierce gunfire exchange with the security forces. Some grenades detonated, igniting a fire in the house that was quickly contained by the security personnel to prevent it from spreading to nearby structures. Usman was neutralised after hours of firing. Four security personnel were also injured in the exchange of fire. They were reported to be in stable condition.
Usman, who was well familiar with the Valley terrain, was a significant figure in orchestrating numerous terror attacks since his initial activity in the early 2000s. After a stint in Pakistan, he infiltrated back into the region around 2016-17 and was implicated in the shooting of police inspector Masroor Wani last year.
On Sunday, at least twelve people were injured in a grenade explosion in Srinagar.
The explosion occurred in the crowded Tourist Reception Center (TRC) in the Sunday market where many civilians were present at the time of the attack. The blast caused panic in the area and sent shoppers scrambling for cover. A weekly market is held every Sunday at Lal Chowk in Srinagar, where a large number of people gather.