J&K: LET ultra responsible for killing army major eliminated

SRINAGAR:A top Lashkar-e-taiba (LET) terrorist of Pakistani origin, who was responsible for gunning down army Major Satish Dhayia, was among the two militants killed in an encounter in the apple town of Sopore in north Kashmir on Tuesday, police said.

With these deaths, the number of ultras killed in the past 12 days in Kashmir has gone up to 18, they said.

Abu Maaz, who had been active since 2015, was killed, along with Abdul Majeed alias Sameer of Bomai in Sopore, they said.

Giving details, the police said that during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, a joint search operation was launched with paramilitary forces and the army following a credible intelligence input about the presence of terrorists in Nowpora area of Tujjer in Sopore.

“During the search, the hiding terrorists fired on the search party, which was retaliated. In the ensuing encounter, two terrorists were eliminated,” a police spokesman said.

“On the basis of materials recovered, one of the slain terrorists has been identified as Abu Maaz of Pakistani origin who had been operating as the top commander of Lashkar-e-taiba in north Kashmir,” he said.

The spokesman said Maaz was involved in a series of attacks on security forces and killing of civilians.

He was active in north Kashmir, particulary Sopore and Handwara and has had masterminded an attack on an Army convoy in February last year, in which 31-year-old Major Satish Dhaiya was killed.

Three terrorists — Abu Saad, Abu Maviya and Abu Darda — were killed in that encounter, but Abu Maaz had managed to escape after gunning down the Army Major. Since then, he was among the most wanted terrorists in north Kashmir.

ABU MAAZ, WHO HAD BEEN ACTIVE SINCE 2015, WAS KILLED, ALONG WITH ABDUL MAJEED, IN SOPORE GUNBATTLE ON TUESDAY