HM district commander gunned down in Kishtwar

Jammu, Mar 9 (UNI) In a major breakthrough, security forces early today gunned down a militant of Hizb-ul-Mujaheedin (HM) in tehsil Chatru of Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir, official sources here said.

On specific information, an ambush was laid down jointly by the troops of 11 Rashtriya Rifles and district police in village Kuchhal, the sources said.

''HM district commander Qasim Gujjar alias Babbar was eliminated by the security forces in an encounter around 0700 hrs,'' defence spokesman Lt. Col. S D Goswami told UNI.

''The Hizb commander was active in Kishtwar district since 2001 and remained operational in major militancy-related incidents,'' he said while a pistol and a grenade along with incrementing documents were recovered from the slain militant.

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