Srinagar: Believe it or not, biscuits played an important role in the elimination of high-profile Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Usman in Srinagar. The strategy showed the meticulous planning of the Indian army in the entire operation to eliminate the terrorist .
As per Army officials, the snack helped in dealing with the challenges of stray dogs in the operation as the security forces feared that their noise may alert the terrorists beforehand. In order to pacify these stray dogs, the search team was armed with biscuits, while they approached near the target. The step was taken to minimise collateral damage. The army conducted the entire operation before Fajr (pre-dawn prayers), the Hindustan Times reported.
Usman started firing at security forces
However, after noticing the search team, Usman, who was armed with an AK-47 and several grenades, started firing at security forces, ensuing a gunbattle. Several grenades were detonated during the confrontation after which a nearby structure came under fire. Security personnel soon brought the fire under control to prevent it from spreading to nearby areas. The security forces neutralised Usman after several rounds of intense gunfights. Four security personnel were also injured in the encounter.
All four of them are reported to be in stable condition. The operation was launched in collaboration between the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the police. According to officials, Usman played an important role in several terrorist attacks since he joined terrorist activities in the early 2000s.
Involved in the shooting of a police inspector
Usman infiltrated back into Jammu and Kashmir in 2016-17 after a stint in Pakistan. He was also reportedly involved in the shooting of police inspector Masroor Wani in 2023.
