Srinagar, June 22: A top commander of Pakistan based militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba and a policeman were killed and four others including a policeman injured in an overnight fierce gunfight in Indian Kashmir.
Indian army take position during a gun battle with LeT militants at Sopore in Jammu and Kashmir - Photo by : PTI
A police officer said police, army and paramilitary soldiers laid siege around Bhagat Mohalla, Sopore, some 55 kms North of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir on Monday evening. “We had got information that a group of militants were hiding in the area. The soldiers after plugging off all possible escape routes, zeroed-in on a residential house and asked the militants present inside to surrender,” he said.
The official said the militants turned down the ‘surrender offer’ and fired from AK-47 rifles towards the soldiers. “The fire was returned by the soldiers, triggering an encounter. In the ensuing gunfight, which continued till early Tuesday morning, a policeman and Lashkar-e-Toiba top militant were killed. Four persons including a cop and army man were injured in the gunfight,” he said adding the injured have been hospitalsed .
Two houses were damaged during the exchange of fire. “Body of a Lashkar commander Zubair, a Pakistani national, has been recovered from the debris while the clearance operation is on,” the police official said.
He identified the deceased policeman as Ghulam Hassan.
The official said they suspect that two more militants were killed in the gunfight. “However, body of only one militant has been recovered so far,” he added.
Earlier, police had reports that Lashkar’s Kashmir chief Abdullah Ooni was trapped in the area. Ooni is one of the most wanted militants in Kashmir and police and army have been searching for him from past many years. He has escaped their dragnet several times.
