M A I N   N E W S

2 Lashkar commanders shot

Srinagar, June 21
The security forces have gunned down two top commanders of the Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit, including its supreme commander, in the valley, a defence spokesman said today.

The self-styled LeT commander Omar Abdullah Makki and his aide, Abu Hans alias Abu Hyder, both Pakistani nationals, were killed in an encounter at Gopalpora village in Badgam district last night, he said.

He said the troops, acting on a specific information, cordoned off a few suspected houses in the village yesterday. Even as the cordon was being laid, he said, the militants hiding inside one of the houses opened indiscriminate fire using AK-47 rifles and lobbed grenades at the security forces.

In the encounter that ensued, Makki and Hans, divisional commanders of the LeT for Srinagar and Badgam districts, were killed by the security forces comprising columns of 2nd battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles of Kilo-force and Special Operations Group (SOG) of the police.

“This is a major success for the security forces as it has led to a total void in hierarchy of the LeT and is a big blow to their operations in the valley,” the spokesman said.

Five security personnel were injured and the house where the two top militants were hiding, was completely damaged, the sources said, adding the house owner and his daughter were taken into custody by the SOG.

Elsewhere in the valley, an unidentified militant and a civilian were killed while a woman was injured in separate shootouts and security forces unearthed an arms dump seizing a huge cache of arms and ammunition since last night.

In another encounter, the spokesman said, Army troops shot dead a militant at Batapora village in Kupwara district of north Kashmir last night. The house where he was hiding was damaged in the incident.

Militants shot dead Nazir Ahmad Sofi at Noorpora-Tral in Pulwama district of south Kashmir last night. A woman was also injured in the incident and was hospitalised.

The Army unearthed a major militant hideout during search operations in Dishatnar forest in Baramula today and recovered 60-mm mortar, one base plate, one site mortar, one aimingspoint stick, 13 anti-tank grenades, 10 IEDs, eight cells and four rock sticks, the spokesman said.

The Army also recovered one rocket, three grenades and some ammunition during search operations at Pethwedre in Kupwara district today.

JAMMU: One person was killed and another injured in a bomb explosion in Akhnoor tehsil. PTI, UNI