Kashmir News: Top LeT commander Altaf Lalli killed in gunfight in J&K Bandipora
Kashmir News: India drew first blood in its operation to identify and eliminate those behind the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, with top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Altaf Lalli killed in an encounter in Bandipora.
The operation is part of a wider security crackdown to track down LeT terrorists suspected to be involved in the attack that claimed 26 lives.
On Friday morning, acting on specific intelligence about the presence of terrorists, a joint search operation was launched by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police in Bandipora. Contact was established with the terrorists, leading to a firefight.
Earlier, sources reported that one of the terrorists being pursued by security forces had sustained injuries during the initial exchange of fire. In the same encounter, two police personnel – both part of the personal security team of a senior officer-were also injured.
Meanwhile, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi arrived in Srinagar, where he was briefed on the ongoing operation in Bandipora. He is scheduled to conduct a comprehensive security review of the situation and assess the progress of the operation aimed at tracking down LeT terrorists suspected to be behind the Pahalgam terror attack.
In another development, the houses of two terrorists believed to be involved in the Pahalgam attack were destroyed by security forces and J&K authorities on Friday. While the residence of Lashkar terrorist Adil Hussain Thoker in Bijbehara was blown up using IEDs, the house of Asif Sheikh in Tral was demolished with a bulldozer.
Adil Thoker is believed to have played a key role in helping the Pakistani terrorists plan and carry out the attack in the scenic Baisaran Valley that left 26 people dead.
The Anantnag Police has announced a reward of Rs 20 lakh for information on Thoker and two Pakistani nationals – Ali Bhai and Hashim Musa – who carried out the attack. The sketches of the trio have also been released as security forces launched a massive hunt for the attackers.
The attackers, believed to be 4-5 in number, emerged from the dense pine forest surrounding the Baisaran valley on Tuesday and started firing indiscriminately with AK-47 rifles at tourists.
Some survivors said the terrorists, in military fatigues, checked the IDs to verify religion, and executed those identified as non-Muslims, point-blank.
👉Join JK Updates WhatsApp Channel 👈
JKSSB Fresh Job Recruitment for 508 Posts
Job Recruitment in Jammu Smart City Ltd (JSCL)
LDC, DEO, MTS, Assistant & Other Various Posts in CPCB India
