LeT terrorist involved in October Gagangir attack killed in Srinagar

A top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander, Junaid Ahmad Bhat, who police said was involved in the Gangangir attack in October, was killed in an ongoing encounter on Tuesday in Dachigam forest area of Harwan on the outskirts of Srinagar.

Jammu and Kashmir police and Indian Army said that following a specific intelligence input, joint parties of security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the upper reaches of Dachigam forest in Srinagar. "In the ongoing operation, one terrorist was killed and has been identified as Junaid Ahmed Bhat (LeT, Category A). The terrorist was involved in civilian killings at Gagangir, Ganderbal and several other terror attacks," J&K Police said.

Police added that a US made M4 carbine rifle was recovered from the encounter spot.



Seven workers, including a doctor of a construction project of Apco Infratech Private Limited -building the 6.5 km long Z Morh tunnel in Gagangir area on the highway connecting Kashmir with Ladakh - were killed in the attack on October 20. The police had claimed that Bhat was among the attackers, whose face was captured in the CCTV footage on the site.

General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lieutenant General M V Suchindra Kumar, complimented Army and police for their excellent synergy, swift action and precise execution in operation Dachigam. "Indian Army stands by its commitment to keep Jammu and Kashmir terror-free," read the Army statement.

Meanwhile, J&K police said that it has arrested two female alleged overground workers in Udhampur district of Jammu division, who have been booked under the Public Safety Act.

The two females who were identified as Maryama Begum and Arshad Begum of Basantgarh area, who police said were "assessed to be posing a significant threat to the safety and security of the state."