Top Lashkar commander among 3 killed in J

Srinagar , Sep 29 (UNI) Two militants, including a top commander of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), were among three people killed in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours, an official spokesman said today.

He said during the intervening night of September 28-29, a group clash took place between the militants belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen and the LeT at Nildoora, Shopian in south Kashmir's Pulwama district.

During the clash, LeT district commander Sameer Ahmad Mir alias Abu Saqib, a resident of Hatipora, Kulgam in Anantnag district, was killed, the spokesman added.

He said Abu Saqib was a dreaded militant and involved in several killings, including those of nine Nepali labourers at Badru in Yaripora area of Anantnag district.

The spokesman claimed that the cadres of the two outfits were at loggerheads with each other for the past few months over distribution of money looted and extorted from contractors and other works agencies, transfer of militants from the Hizb to the Lashkar and control over upper-ground women activists.

The spokesman said a militant, believed to be a foreigner, was killed in an encounter with security forces at Duraswani, Lolab in frontier district of Kupwara.

An AK rifle, three magazines, 65 rounds and one hand grenade were seized from the possession of the slain militant, he added.

The spokesman said militants killed Mubarak Ali, a resident of Bhata Dessa at Bakerkund under the Dessa police station in Doda district of Jammu region last evening.

In a search operation, security forces seized four AK rifles, seven magazines, one pistol, one pistol magazine, two pistol rounds, 15 hand grenades and 126 rounds from a militant hideout at Boninar in Machil sector of Kupwara district late last night.

The spokesman said two AK rifles, seven magazines, 243 rounds, two pistols, 13 rounds, five hand grenades, seven UBGL grenades and one wireless set were seized from a militant hideout at Pugwan Drad jungle area in Kupwara district last night.

He said security forces apprehended two Hizb militants at Amarpora, Tarzoo in border district of Baramulla and seized one pistol, one magazine, four rounds and two hand grenades from them.

UNI BAS VD HT1940