Valley: LeT commander among 2 killed in encounter

A top Lashkar-e-Tayiba commander was among two militants shot dead by army troops during an encounter in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The two militants have been identified as most wanted militant and top LeT commander of Pir Panchal belt Ayaz Ahmed Malik alais 'Musa' and Farooq Ahmed Thakri alais Zulfikar Nain, a senior army officer told PTI.

The troops recovered two AK-47 rifles, six magazines, 160 rounds, 10 Chinese grenades, a satellite phone, a mobile phone, a pair of binoculars and a compass from their hideout in Banihal area of Ramban district, he said.

Acting on information about the presence of a group of top militants in the region, a team from the 22 Rastriya Rifles cordoned off the area and launched the operation at around 1 am on Sunday, the army officer of 16 Corps said.

The militants hurled grenades and opened indiscriminate firing on the troops who fired back, resulting in a fierce gunbattle which continued for several hours, he said.

Musa had escaped five encounters and was involved in two dozen attacks on security forces, killing of SPOs and informers and recruitment of youth in militancy since he joined the LeT in 2001.

Nain was active in Shopian belt of south Kashmir and shifted his base to south Pir Panchal area in 2008. He was the self-styled operation chief of the area.