Police kills operation chief of Lashkar-e-Toiba

Srinagar, July 3 : Police on Thursday eliminated two top militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit including its operation chief in an encounter at Naina Batpora in Pulwama district.

Addressing a press conference after the successful operation, Inspector General of Police Kashmir Zone S. M. Sahai said that after receiving specific information about the presence of two dreaded LeT militants in Naina Batpora Sangam, Anantnag Police launched an operation today along with Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and 55 Rashtriya Rifles (RR).

The IGP said that when the area was being searched the police parties they were fired upon by the militants and also grenades were lobbed on them. The Police parties retaliated and in the ensuing encounter two dreaded militants of LeT namely Abu Atif alias Shadak, resident of Gujranwalian Pakistan and Syed Moin, resident of Pakistan were killed.

Large quantity of arms and ammunition including two AK rifles and magazine were recovered from the slain militants.

The killed militant Atif was active in the area for the last ten years and presently was operational chief of LeT outfit not only for valley but for carrying-planning attacks in different parts of the country.

He was instrumental in attack on CRPF personnel at Rampur, and at Science Congress in Bangalore by supplying arms to the militants who attacked it. Besides killing of Station House Officer Police Station Pampore, Inspector Manzoor Ahmad in the year 2006 and killing of a computer operator Qazi at Pampore, he was also responsible for killing of at least fifty civilians and security force personnel in South Kashmir Range.

IGP further said that Atif was also responsible for grenade attack on tourists in Shalimar and Charsoo Sangam. This is a big blow to the militant organisation.

Another militant killed was his body guard.

ANI