Top Lashkar Commander Involved In Gagangir Attack Gunned Down In Srinagar Encounter: J&K Police

The militant was killed in a fierce encounter with security forces in Dachigam area of Srinagar on Tuesday.

Srinagar: A top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant commander involved in the killing of workers at a construction site in Ganderbal was taken out in Srinagar outskirts, said Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday.

Seven civilians including a local doctor and non-migrant workers of Uttar Pradesh based civil construction company were killed in a deadly terror attack at Z Morh tunnel in Ganderbal district in October.

A Police official confirmed that a terrorist identified as Junaid Ahmad Bhat of LeT was killed in the ongoing encounter in Dachigam forests in Srinagar. The slain was an 'A' category, meaning he was among the wanted militants. “The said terrorist was involved in civilians killing at Gagangir, Ganderbal and several other terror attacks,” a Kashmir Zone Police spokesperson posted on X.

It said that the anti-terror operation is underway in the upper reaches of Dachigam, which is a national park and further details will follow. The operation was carried out jointly by the J&K Police along with Army’s Rashtriya Rifles and Security Forces.

The firefight erupted and a cordon and search operation was launched by the security forces on a specific input about the presence of militants last evening. When the searches were underway, the hiding militants at the suspected spot opened fire, triggering an encounter, an official added.

This is the second encounter in Srinagar after the killing of top terrorist of Lashkar-e-Taiba in Srinagar last month.