Top Lashkar commander killed in encounter in Kashmir

Handwara (Jammu and Kashmir), Aug 3 (ANI): A top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander was killed in a joint operation launched by state police and army personnel here on Friday.

Acting on a tip off, security forces started the encounter on late Thursday evening in Kupwara district.

"We have been tracking the top commander of LeT operating in north Kashmir from past some days. After receiving inputs in afternoon, we launched a joint operation with army and Jammu and Kashmir police. We had an information that this militant was hiding in a place outside a house where animals and fodder is stored," said Brigadier A. Arun.

Brigadier Arun added that the militant was trapped inside the warehouse, which caught fire during the gun battle, and his body was recovered from the debris of the house.

"After frisking the house when we reached the basement, suddenly he started firing on us from there. In the cross firing, grass and fodder kept there caught fire and the storehouse collapsed on him. During the search operation in the morning we found a charred body along with a gun and two magazines. Search operation is still on," the Brigadier explained.

The officials are yet to confirm the identity of militant.

"He is top commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba in north Kashmir and has been operating here for quite long. I cannot announce his name before it is confirmed because we have not received any identification card from the body," Brigadier Arun added.

The operation is still in progress as army suspects that more militants might be hiding in the hilly region. (ANI)