Top Lashkar Commander among seven militants killed in Kashmir

Srinagar, Sep 16 (UNI) A self-styled financial controller of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) in Jammu and Kashmir, was among the seven militants killed by the security forces overnight, a defance ministry spokesman said today.

He said troops of 9 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) launched a search operation at Nadimarg forest in south Kashmir last afternoon following a tip-off that a group of militants had entered the area from Doda through Pirpanjal Rang.

When the troops were moving towards the militant hideout they were attacked with automatic weapons and hand grenades to which the troops retaliated, and in the two-hour-long fierce gun battle a Lashkar commander Abu Saad was killed, the spokesman added.

Saad, a resident of Lahore, Pakistan, was the chief administrator and financial controller of the Lashkar.

Abu Saad was Amir of LeT Madaras in Muridke and Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

It was a great success for the security forces in south Kashmir, the spokesman said.

In another incident, troops this afternoon killed three militants in a fierce encounter at Gurwattan-Sirpatheri in Pirpanjal range. The encounter ensued after a search party was attacked by the militants.

The search in the area was still going on, he said.

He further added that the troops also gunned down a militant in another encounter at Narwani in Pulwama district early this morning.

The encounter ensued after a search party was attacked by the militants. One AK rifle and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militant.

Official sources said another militant was killed in the same encounter.

They said another militant Abu Mastan, a resident of Pakistan, was killed by the security forces in an encounter at Zainapora in Pulwama district today. One ak rifle and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militant.

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