Top LeT terrorist, Pakistani national among 3 killed in J&K encounter

Three militants, including a Pakistani national, a top-ranking commander of banned Lashkar-e-Tayyiba outfit, were killed in an overnight gunfight in Gund Brath village of Sopore in north Kashmir's Baramulla district.

Baramulla (Jammu & Kashmir): Three militants, including a Pakistani national and a top-ranking commander of banned Lashkar-e-Taiba outfit, were killed in an overnight gunfight in Gund Brath village of Sopore in north Kashmir's Baramulla district, officials said. The encounter took place on Saturday evening soon after security forces cordoned off the area.

A police source said the most-wanted militant Mudassir Pandit, who was involved in several attacks on security forces and political activists affiliated with mainstream parties, was among the slain militants. Another militant killed in the encounter was identified as Asrar alias Abdullah, a resident of Pakistan who was active in the area since 2018.

"Top LeT #teroristMudasir Pandit who was involved in #killing of 03 policemen, 02 councilors, & 02 civilians recently and other several #terror crimes got killed in Sopore," tweeted Kashmir Zone Police quoting Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range) Vijay Kumar.

The police were referring to an incident of violence in Sopore town on June 12 when suspected militants attacked a police officer. Two policemen and two civilians were killed during the exchange of fire, including a shopkeeper who was being whisked away by police in a vehicle that came under attack. The locals held protest demonstrations against the civilian killings in the area. Police said that Pandit was the mastermind of the June 12 attack.