Top LeT commander, 2 other terrorists killed in encounter

Three terrorists, including a top commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Kupwara district of north Kashmir, a police official said on Saturday.

The gunbattle broke out at Dardpora in Lolab area of Kupwara on Friday night after security forces launched a search operation there, the official said.

He said while Lashkar top commander Abu Usama was killed in the initial exchange of fire on Friday night, two others were killed on Saturday evening.

After the killing of Usama, two of his associates had taken refuge in a residential house of Shah Zaman Chohan in Dardpora village.

A joint team of Army’s 28 Rashtriya Rifles, along with the additional reinforcement from 18 RR and special operations group, laid siege around the house following which an encounter ensued in which both the militants were killed.

Army and SOG used mortar shells and razed the house to rubble.

Bodies of both the militants have been retrieved and there identification is being ascertained, the police officer said.

Soon after the incident hundreds of people took to streets and clashed with government forces.

The search operation in the area is still going on.

The angry protesters threw stones at army and police vehicles following which the forces resorted to tear smoke shells and baton charge against the protesters.

Earlier, after conducting all legal formalities, the local police handed over the body of Usama to local Auqaf Committee in Dardpora for burial, where hundreds of people participated in his funeral.

Following the killing, there was spontaneous shutdown in Dardpora, Lalpora and its adjoining areas.

“Usma believed to be part of the group comprising of three to four members had infiltrated into this part of Kashmir some six months back and were hiding inside the dense bushes of Lolab,” the police officer said.

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