SRINAGAR, Aug 3: A militant commander has been killed in an encounter with security forces in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district, Police say.
They said they, alongwith the 21 Rashtriya Rifles of the Army launched an operation in Rajwar area Thursday evening following information about Abu Hanzullah’s presence in Rajwar area of Handwara in the district.
The slain militant was a high-ranking commander of the Lashkar-e-Toiba militant group and had been operating in the area since 2007, a police spokesperson said.
“He was one of the most wanted terrorist and an IED expert and was involved in facilitating infiltration of terrorists and distribution of terrorists, targeting and killing of civilians and security force personnel and was also involved in abetting forest smuggling in Rajwara forest belt of Handwara in nexus with timber smugglers,” he said.
The militant was killed during an early morning assault after the operation was suspended last night.
Hanzullah’s body has been retrieved alongwith a burnt AK-47 rifle. The premises where he was holed up has been gutted down in the operation.
