Hajin: Commando martyred, two LeT commanders among 6 terrorists killed

Nephew of Mumbai attack mastermind Lakhvi among slain terrorists

SRINAGAR: In what was the biggest encounter of the year- in terms of terrorists killed- security forces on Saturday killed six Pakistani terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), including the nephew of Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, were gunned down in Hajin area of north Kashmir's Bandipora district in an encounter in which an IAF Garud commando was also killed.
Besides the supreme sacrifice made by the commando, a soldier from Rashtriya Rifle received bullet injury in his thigh, while a civilian was also injured. Both were admitted in the hospital and are out of danger.
The severe blow to the terror outfit in its north Kashmir operations has come a day after a footballer-turned-millitant who had joined LeT Majid Khan surrendered before forces, and three days after centre government asked forces to intensify operations against terrorists while reviewing the Kashmir situation.
Apart from Lakhvi's nephew, two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commanders were also among the terrorists killed by the security forces, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police (DGP), S P Vaid, said.
Security forces launched a search operation in Chandergeer village in Hajin area of the district after receiving specific intelligence input about the presence of terrorists in the area, a police official said.
The search operation resulted in an encounter when the terrorists hiding there fired on the search party of the security forces, who retaliated.
"Six LeT terrorists have been eliminated in Bandipora encounter," Vaid said.
He said all the six terrorists killed in the encounter were Pakistanis.
Police sources said they initially were unaware about the actual identities of the slain but now they are sure most of them are foreigners. The slain were identified as abu Zargam, Mehmood Bhai, abu Osama, abu Kital and Choutou. One officer said one of the six is still not identified.
One of the terrorists named Owaid is the son of Zakir Rehman Maki and the nephew of Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, DGP said on Twitter.
Two LeT commanders -- Zargam and Mehmood -- were also eliminated in the operation today, the DGP said, adding that the operation was a "success".
Among those killed was also the one behind killing of a soldier in Hajin, last month.
“Mehmood is the same person who barged into the residence of a soldier and killed him,” an officer said, adding “That incident also happened in the Hajin belt.”

Six weapons were also recovered from the encounter site.
“The operation is over, we have recovered six AK 47 rifles,” a senior police officer privy of the developments said. “But the debris needs to be seen properly.”

Srinagar-based Defence Spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said an IAF Garud commando was also killed in the operation.

"An IAF Garud commando was killed, while an army soldier was injured," he said.

The Commando identified as JP Nirala was posted at Bandipora since last 3 months and earlier also participated in anti-terrorist operation in North Kashmir. His unit is in Chandigarh and he was on special duty with army.

The Garud Commando Force is the Special Forces unit of the IAF. He was the second such trainee to get killed in the counter insurgency operation almost in the same belt.

After the encounter there were reports of protests in the area. The house in which the terrorists were trapped has suffered extensive damage in the operation.