6 J&K ultras shot, IAF man martyred

In a sudden escalation of violence across Kashmir Valley on Saturday, the banned Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) outfit received a major jolt as security forces shot dead six of its terrorists in a meticulous operation while losing an Indian Air Force (IAF) commando.

One of the slain terrorists has been identified as Owaid, alias Osama, who is son of Abdul Rehman Makki. Rehman is also nephew of Zakir Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

The encounter took place in Hajin belt of north Kashmir’s Bandipora, which has emerged as the newest hiding region of LeT terrorists.

“Total of six Pakistani Lashkar terrorists has been eliminated. One of the terrorists named Owaid, alias Osama, is son of Zakir Rehman Maki and nephew of Zakir Rehman Lakhvi — mastermind of Mumbai terror attacks,” J&K Director General of Police, Shesh Paul Vaid tweeted. He said that Owais had been active for the last year in the area.

He identified the others as Zargam and Mehmood — both top ranked terrorists in the area. Mehmood, police said, was involved in the killing of BSF constable Mohammad Ramzan Parray, alias Rameez, on September 27 and killing of two Garud commandos.

Sources said the gunfight erupted at Chandrageer village, around 35 kilometres from Srinagar, when joint teams of police, Army and CRPF launched counter-insurgency operation. The security forces had specific input on presence of LeT terrorists in the area.

“While the cordon was being laid, terrorists opened fire from several houses triggering an encounter. During the prolonged gunfight, six terrorists were killed,” Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said. “An Air Force Guard commando was martyred and one soldier has been injured during the gunfight,” he said.

This is second time in a month when IAF suffered fatal casualties in counter-insurgency operations in the Hajin belt.

In October, two IAF Garud commandos were killed in an encounter that also left two terrorists including a local recruit dead.

Hajin was in mid-1990s known as hotbed to counter-insurgents who worked in association with the Army to break the backbone of terrorism. However, the area is now known as bastion of LeT.

Owaid is the third close relative of Lashkar chief Lakhvi who was killed in Kashmir. In 2007, Lakhvi's son Mohammad Qasim, 20, was killed in the same district in a fierce gunbattle at Gamroo village in Bandipore. In January this year, Abu Musaib, nephew of Lakhvi was killed in a gunfight in Hajin.

The kiling of a major group of LeT terrorists before the onset of winter would shatter the outfit's base in the area. The ultras are forced to descend to the plain areas after the upper heights become inhospitable due to snowfall and freezing temperature. This is the period when they are tracked down and killed in encounters.