LeT commander among 5 killed, woman SPO, 3 others arrested in J

Srinagar, June 18 (UNI) A listed top commander, active for the past eight years, and two militants of Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) were among five people killed while security forces averted a major possible militant attack when they arrested four people, including a woman SPO, in Jammu and Kashmir overnight.

A police spokesman told UNI that SOG launched a search operation at Chewdara in the central Kashmir district of Badgam today following a tip off that a group of LeT militants were hiding there.

As the SOG personnel were sealing the area from all sides, militants hiding there opened fire. The fire was returned and in the fierce clash three LeT militants were killed.

One of the slain militant was identified as Chota Furkan, a self styled DC, he said adding Furkan was active in the central Kashmir for the past eight years and was wanted in a number of militancy related incidents. Three AK rifles and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants.

A report from Jammu said a Special Police Officer(SPO), identified as Parveen Akhtar, was apprehended along with three other people at Keran area in Poonch district.

Four anti-personnel mines have been recovered from their possession.

With this arrest, the army has averted a major possible tragedy as these mines could have been used to attack the army convoy on Poonch-Jammu road.

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