LeT terrorist killed in J&K encounter

SRINAGAR: A top Lashkar-eTaiba commander and one other terrorist were killed in an encounter with security forced in Pampore area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday, a senior police officer said.

Police identified the commander as Umar Mushtaq Khandey, who was listed among the top 10 commanders in the Union territory. Khandey was allegedly involved in the killing of two policemen earlier this year.

“LeT #terrorist Umar Mustaq Khandey who martyred our 2 colleagues SgCT Mohammad Yousf and Ct Suhail Ah in Baghat Srinagar while they were having tea, #neutralised in Drangbal, #Pampore. Amongst various other crimes of the terrorists, this stands out as most unforgivable,” Kashmir inspector general of police Vijay Kumar said in a tweet.

“We are committed to #hunt down these #terrorists who try to create fear among masses and spread mischief & tumult in the valley. Such elements and their name should be excised from society,” he said.

Another unidentified militant was also killed in the Pampore encounter, a police official said, adding that arms and ammunition were recovered from the spot.

The operation to nab the terrorists was launched during the night at Drangbal Pampore as the militants were hiding in a three storey building.

Umar was named among the top ten militant targets by police along with Salim Parray, Yousuf Kantroo, Abbas Sheikh, Reyaz Shetergund, Farooq Nali, Zubair Wani and Ashraf Molvi, Saqib Manzoor and Wakeel Shah in August.

The forces began two separate operations following specific inputs regarding the presence of the terrorists in Pulwama and Srinagar, resulting in the killing of two militants belonging to LeT (TRF), Kumar said. The slain terrorists were also involved in the recent killings of a civilian and a probationary police sub-inspector in Srinagar, he said.

In the Pulwama encounter, a terrorist identified as Shahid Bashir Sheikh of Habba Kadal Srinagar was killed. “As per police records, he had joined the terror folds recently and was linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT (TRF). He was involved in the killing of a civilian Mohammad Shafi Dar (PDD Employee) at Batamaloo Srinagar on Oct 2. He was also