Top HUJI commander among 4 killed, tragedy on J

Srinagar, May 29 (UNI) A top commander of Harkat-Ul-Jehad-Islami (HUJI) and two militants of Pakistan based Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) were among four killed while two over ground workers were arrested in the Kashmir valley today.

Security forces and police, in a joint operation, foiled a militant plan to target a security force convoy on the Srinagar-Jammu national higway when they arrested a militant alongwith a car fitted with explosives.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Munir Khan told UNI that troops of 2 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police ad prior information that a group of militants would sneak into the city from the outskirts via the Parimpora bypass route.

He said a close watch was kept in the entire area and after a long wait two militants were noticed coming from the motor garage side. When challenged and asked to surrender, militants opened fire, which was returned by the ambush party.

Both the militants, who have not been identified as yet, were killed, Mr Khan said, adding two AK rifles, magazines and grenades were recovered from the slain militants.

He said as per the arms and ammunition recovered, both the militants belongs to Pakistan based LeT.

A defence ministry spokesman said 1 BN RR, 162 Territorial Army (TA) and SOG of Anantnag conducted a search operation at Moran Hall Khanabal in south Kashmir early this morning following information that some militants were hiding there.

However, when the troops were sealing the area, militants fired upon them with automatic weapons. The fire was returned and in the fierce clash, a HUJI District Commander (DC) Mohammad Rafiq Turkhan alias Tufail, was killed. An AK rifle, three magzines and 67 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the slain militant.

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