Top LeT commander among 2 killed in encounter in J&K’s Shopian

Srinagar: A top commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), responsible for attacks and killings of security forces and civilians, was among two militants killed in an overnight encounter in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Monday.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Check Sadiq Khan area of the south Kashmir district on Sunday after receiving specific inputs about the presence of militants there, a police official said.

He said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants opened fire on security forces, who retaliated.

In the exchange of firing, two militants were killed, the official said.

One of the slain militants was identified as Ishfaq Dar alias Abu Akram, a top commander of LeT, Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh said.

Dar was active since 2017 and responsible for a very large number of terror crime cases, including attacks on and killings of police, security forces and civilians, Singh said.

He said the other militant has been identified as Majid Iqbal.

The night-long operation has concluded, the Jammu and Kashmir’s top police official said.

An Army official said two AK rifles with eight magazines were recovered from the site of the encounter.