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Three militants, including wanted LeT ‘commander’, killed in Kashmir gunfights

Three militants, including wanted Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) ‘commander’ Usman Lashkari, were killed in two separate anti-militancy operations in Kashmir. Two policemen and two CRPF jawans were also injured in the operations.

A gunbattle raged in the old city’s Khanyar area on Saturday morning when a quick response team (QRT) of the security forces worked upon a tip-off about the presence of a militant in a congested locality.

“Security forces acted swiftly on an intelligence input. A coordinated cordon-and-search operation was launched around the suspected hideout. Security personnel were fired upon when the house where the militant was hiding was approached,” Inspector General of Police V.K. Birdi said.

“A full-scale operation lasted until late in the evening. During the intense exchange (of fire), the forces successfully eliminated a foreign terrorist, later identified as Usman Lashkari of the LeT,” IGP Birdi added.

In a separate operation in south Kashmir, the Army engaged a group of militants in a firefight in Halkan Gali, Anantnag. The Army said security forces observed suspicious movement and the terrorists were challenged. “Terrorists opened indiscriminate fire. Troops effectively retaliated, which resulted in the elimination of two terrorists,” the Army said.