Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Umar Khatab killed in J&K

Militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Umar Khatab was killed and an army jawan wounded in a fierce gunbattle in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district today.

Khatab was killed in the gunfight with security forces in Bhatti-Dar area at Mendhar early this morning, Brigadier General Staff (BGS), 16 Coprs, S Dua told PTI. Acting on a specific information that some militants were hiding in Bhatti-Dar area, Rashtriya Rifles troops and police launched a search-and-cordon operation.

During the searches, militants fired at security forces who retaliated triggering a fierce gunbattle in which Khatab was killed and an army jawan wounded, Brigadier Dua said.
Khatab had taken over as JeM head after the killing of its former chiefs, Dawood and Fazal, in separate encounters with security forces in Poonch district last year.

During the gunbattle which was still raging, militant Jabeer and three ultra sympathisers were apprehended. Two AK rifles, a Chinese pistol, a grenade and two magazines and Rs 62,000 (Indian currency) were recovered from the scene. Security forces also conducted searches in Alal forest belt in Rajouri district to flush out militants hiding in the area, police said.

In another gunbattle, a militant was killed and an army jawan wounded in North Kashmir's Bandipora district. The gunfight erupted in Lashkote village, some 60-km from Srinagar, last evening, official sources said adding the exchange of fire was still on.

In Gurez's sector Baktoor area, security forces were conducting searches following reports that some militants had managed to sneak into India, they said.