LeT's Kashmir commander killed in encounter

In a joint operation on Wednesday, the army and police killed the Lashkar-e-Tayiba's operational commander for Kashmir.

"Tayab alias Abu Talha, the LeT operational commander for Kashmir, was killed in Hanjipora village of north Kashmir Kupwara district on Wednesday," a police spokesman said in Srinagar.

"The operation was jointly carried out by Kupwara police and the troops of 1/11 Gorkha regiment," the spokesman added.

The spokesman said following specific information about the presence of the LeT commander in Hanjipora village, 110 kilometres from Srinagar, security forces cordoned off the house where the LeT commander was hiding.

"When challenged to surrender, the hiding militant opened fire on the troops, resulting in an encounter which ended with the death of the top LeT commander and minor injuries to one policeman, one trooper of the army and a civilian," police said.

One AK-47 rifle and one magazine were recovered from the slain commander.

Police also said the slain LeT top commander had been responsible for the killings of a number of security personnel, including a senior army officer last year.