Top LeT commander among two militants killed in Bandipora

BANDIPORA — Two local militants including a top Lashkar-e-Toiba militant commander Abid Hakani were killed in an encounter that broke out between militants in security forces in Watrina village of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Sunday morning.

A senior Police officer who was part of this operation told news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that Police and Army’s 14RR launched a cordon and search operation in Watrina area this morning, following inputs about the presence of militants there.

He said the militants opened fire on the search party of the forces, which was retaliated, triggering a gunfight. “In the exchange of firing, two militants were killed,” he said.

He said one among the killed militants is Lashkar-e-Tobia commander Abid Hakani who, according to him, was involved in the killing of BJP leader Sheikh Waseem Bari, his father and brother.

The officer identified the second militant as Azad Ahmad Shah, a resident of Bagh Bandipora, who had gone missing since July last year.

According to Police sources, Abid, a resident of Papchan Bandipora, had exfiltrated to Pakistan via Wagah border in March 2018 and then returned via LoC after getting arms training there.

Notably, the Bandipora district today witnessed third encounter since the month of July this year and six militants have been killed in these gunfights so far.