26/11 mastermind Lakhvi’s nephew killed

Shabir Ahmad

Srinagar, Jan 19: Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zaki-ur -Rehman Lakhvi’s nephew was gunned down and a cop of Special Operation of J&K Police was critically injured in gunfight in Bandipora district of north Kashmir Thursday morning.
Identified as Abu Musaib, was killed in a gunfight with the troops of 13 Rashtirya Rifles (RR) and SOG in Parray Mohalla Hajin area of Bandipora early Thursday morning. “Preliminary investigation and our credible sources confirm that he is nephew of Lakhvi,” J&K, Director General of Police, S P Vaid said adding that further investigations are on.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Bandipora, Sheik Zulfikar said that operation was carried out on a specific intelligence inputs about the presence of militants hiding in Parray Mohalla. “It was specific information and we acted swiftly and carried out the operation,” Zulfikar told The News Now.
“During search operation, the terrorist hiding opened fire on us. In a retaliatory firing Abu Musaib was killed. He was around 23,” he said adding that he was Divisional Commander of LeT and active since 2015.
SSP said that Musaib was instrumental in reviving terror in Bandipora, Ganderbal and some other areas. “These areas were a relatively peaceful time since 2010,” he said adding that Musaib revived LeT in these areas since 2014-15.
The senior police officer said adding the LeT terrorist was the commander of the group in north Kashmir and was also in touch with LeT group of south Kashmir. “Since 2015 there have been many militancy-related incidents in the area. Musaib was involved in the killing of an Army soldier in 2015 besides snatching his rifle,” SSP said he also was involved in an attack on a civilian in 2016. “He also attacked and injured two Army men in Hajin,” he said adding that SOG cop is undergoing treatment in Army hospital Srinagar.
However, a source said one of the militant escaped from the spot, a charge denied by SSP.
A report said that the residents tried to break the cordon, however police foiled the bid.
Pertinently, on December 3, 2008 , investigation agencies had named Zaki-u-Rehman Lakhvi as one of major planners behind the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack. Lakhvi, 55, was born in Okara district of Pakistan’s Punjab province, the same district that was home to Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only one of the 10 terrorists involved in the Mumbai attacks who was captured alive.
Senior officials in security establishment say Lakhvi he was actively involved in fighting in Kashmir and later planning the LeT’s operations in the state.
Lakhvi was arrested about a week after the Mumbai attacks when Pakistani soldiers raided a LeT camp on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. A few months later, he and six other men were charged with planning, financing and executing the assault on Mumbai. Indian and US security officials say telephone and VoIP intercepts showed Lakhvi was present in a LeT control room in Karachi from where the attackers received instructions.