Kashmir: LeT militant killed in Shopian encounter

A top militant of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was killed at a village in Shopian district, 50km south of Srinagar, in a joint operation conducted by Jammu and Kashmir police and security forces.

A top militant of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was killed at a village in Shopian district, 50km south of Srinagar, in a joint operation conducted by Jammu and Kashmir police and security forces.

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The slain militant has been identified as Abbas Rishi, a local who had joined the LeT ranks.

Police said Rishi’s accomplice, identified as Omar, managed to flee.

A search operation is still on in Hassanpora village of south Kashmir.

“We are trying to neutralise the militant who escaped as we had information regarding presence of two militants. The search operation is on,” said Mohammad Mumtaz, superintendent of police in-charge of Shopian.

Police said Rishi was a wanted LeT terrorist active in the area for the past two years.

“He was a dreaded militant and was area commander of LeT for Shopian. He was wanted in many cases over the past two years,” said Mumtaz.

A police spokesperson said the operation was jointly undertaken by the state police, the army’s 62 Rashtriya Rifles and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), following a tip-off about the presence of two LeT militants at a hideout at Imamsahib in Hassanpora village.

His condition is said to be stable.

LeT is a banned militant organisation based in Pakistan and dominated by foreign militants. In the recent past, many locals too have joined the terror outfit.