LeT terrorists involved in Kashmiri Pandit employee’s killing neutralized: IGP Kashmir

Police said the encounter erupted after security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in Brar in the Aragam area of Bandipora

Two Pakistani militants affiliated with Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit, believed to be involved in the killing of a Kashmiri Pandit employee in Budgam yesterday, were killed in an encounter with security forces in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Friday, police said.

Giving details about the incident, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said they were tracking a local LeT militant namely Lateef Rather alias Osama, who was involved in terror incidents in Srinagar and Budgam for the last two months.

“A week ago his movement was confirmed in Salindar area of Bandipora where he had gone to receive a freshly infiltrated group of terrorists of LeT outfit,” he said and added the presence/movement of these militants was zeroed and shared with the Bandipora police and accordingly an operation was launched on May 11 resulting in the elimination of a local militant Gulzar Ahmed Ganaie of Baramulla.

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“Two terrorists managed to escape from the said encounter site. However, police team kept following the footprints of said escaped terrorists, whose presence was confirmed technically in Chadoora area of Budgam, where Rahul Bhat was killed on May 12,” the IGP said and added thereafter their footprints were again confirmed in Brar, Aragam area of Bandipora on Friday

He said accordingly an operation was launched by the police along with 13 Rashtriya Rifles resulting in the elimination of two foreign militants of LeT outfit. The slain militants were identified as Faisal alias Sikander alias Mohsin and Ukasha, both from Pakistan and were involved in the killing of Rahul Bhat, Kumar added.

The Kashmir police chief said the hunt for Lateef Rather alias Osama is on.

77 militants, including 23 Pakistanis have been killed in Kashmir in encounters with security forces since the beginning of this year. According to official figures 168 militants are still active in Jammu and Kashmir.

Last year in 87 encounters, 168 militants were killed by the security forces in Kashmir. Among them, 19 were foreigners, while 149 were locals.