Top LeT commander killed in Shopian

Security forces on Saturday killed a top Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) commander in an encounter in the Shopian district of South Kashmir.

Sources said a joint team of Army’s 62 Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police launched a search operation in the Hasangpora area of Shopian, 52 km from here, acting on specific information about presence of militants in the area.

“As the search party was about to intercept the militants hiding in the area, the hiding ultras opened heavy fire on them,” they said, adding that one militant was killed and a civilian was injured in the retaliatory fire.

A massive search is underway for his companion, a Pakistan-based commander, believed to be trapped in the village, sources said.

Police have identified the slain militant as district commander of LeT for Shopian, Muhammad Abbas Reshi alias Abid Bhai, who belongs to the locality. The injured civilian was identified as Ghulam Ahmad Parray of Hassanpora.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Abdul Gani Mir, termed the killing a major success. He said the slain militant was involved in a number of violent incidents including hurling of grenade on Army and firing on Police Station at Zainapora.

“He was also involved in the killing of a released militant Shabir Ahmad Mir in September this year,” the IGP said and added that the operation was still underway as the security forces had received specific information about the presence of two to three militants.