Six Hizb and LeT militants killed

● The police said six militants were killed when they were trying to escape under the cover of darkness.

Srinagar, Nov. 23: In a blow to Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen, six militants, including a terrorist involved in planning journalist Shujaat Bukhari’s murder and three commanders, were killed in an early morning encounter at Bijbehara in South Kashmir, police said.

The security forces had launched an operation in the foothills of Wagahama Suktipora Thursday night following information about the presence of militants in a hideout there, they said.

The police said there was firing from a house and the six militants were killed when they were trying to escape under the cover of darkness in the ensuing encounter. “It was a swift operation based on intelligence inputs provided from the ground,” inspector general of police (Kashmir range) Swayam Prakash Pani said.

The terrorists were identified by the police as Azad Ahmad Malik of Arwani in Bijbehara, Unais Shafi of Takiya Maqbool Shah, Bijbehara, Basit Ishtiyaq of Pushwara Anantnag, Atif Najar of Waghama Bijbehara, Firdous Ahmad of Muchpuna Pulwama and Shahid Bashir of Kawni Awantipora.

“It was a combined group of Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashker-eTaiba terror groups. Unais Shafi and Basit Ishtiyaq, as per police records, were with the HM and Unais was HM’s commander of Anantnag district. The others were with the LeT,” police spokesman said. —PTI