The Pakistan-backed Hizbul Mujahideen suffered a severe jolt on Saturday, when its financial chief and senior commander, Masood Ahmad Nathnu, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said.
Acting on a tip-off, security forces raided Dama village, seven kms north-east of Doda, in the wee hours, the sources said. Masood, who had gone to the village allegedly to meet his girlfriend, opened fire at the security forces at around 0600 hrs and was killed in the ensuing gunbattle, they said.
A pistol was recovered from Masood, who was active in Doda district for the last 10 years and was a senior commander and chief of finances of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen outfit, the sources added.