Srinagar: Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) commander Abu Dujana alias Hafiz had purportedly rejected an offer to surrender before he was killed along with another militant in an encounter with security forces in J&K’s south Pulwama district on Tuesday.

In a nine-minute telephonic conversation with a security forces officer, he said, “Aaj bhi marna hai, kal bhi marna hai (one has to die either today or tomorrow).” Dujana congratulated the security forces officer for tracking him down. “Kabhi hum aage, aap peechhe; kabhi aap aage, hum peechhe; aaj aapne pakad liya, mubarak ho aapko (Sometimes we are ahead, sometimes you are ahead, but today you have caught up with me. Congratu-lations).” To this, the security forces officer said, “Aisa kuch nahi hai (Nothing like that)”.

Dujana, a Pakistani nati-onal who figured on top of a list of “most dangerous terrorists” released by the Army in June this year, was asked to mull on the surrender offer. The security forces officer tried to persuade Dujana saying, “You have married (a local girl). Think about her, think about yourself.” Denying that he got married, Dujana said, “I’ve not married anyone. It’s all a pack of lies. It is nothing but propaganda.”

The security forces officer then asked him to think about his parents. Brushing it aside, the LeT commander said, “They died for me the day I left them.” But the security forces officer continued to reason with him.

The security forces officer continued to plead with Dujana that times have changed and something has to be done to avoid further bloodshed in the Valley. To this, Dunjana said, “Tum apne farz par nikley ho, aur hum apne faraz par (you are doing your duty and we are doing our duty)”. The security forces officer asked Dujana, “Leave it now. Accept (the surrender offer). Nothing will happen to you. I will take care of it. Listen to me and surrender. Maan ley meri baat. (Listen to me).”

Avoiding the subject, Dujana asked about the well-being of the security forces officer as he was talking to him after several years.

Dujana said, “But whoever gave you the information about my presence here wants me to die. Lekin main surrender nahi kar sakta. Aap apni duty karo, mein apni duty deta hoon. Jo meri qismat mein hoga, Allah wohi karega. (I can’t surrender. You do your duty and I will do mine. Allah will decide my fate).

When the security forces officer told Dujan that what he was waging was not jihad, “if you do not tell the people who will tell them? You are the militant commander and it is up to you, otherwise there will be no let up in bloodshed”, Dujan disconnected the line.