Top LeT commander among 2 killed in encounter in J&K’s Shopian

Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Ishfaq Dar alias Abu Akram had been active since 2017 and was killed in the South Kashmir district when a search operation turned into an encounter.

File photo of Army personnel during an encounter with terrorists in Shopian| Photo: Amin War | ANI

Srinagar: A top commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba was among two militants killed in an overnight encounter with security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Monday.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Check Sadiq Khan area of south Kashmir district on Sunday after receiving specific inputs about the presence of militants there, a police official said.

He said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants opened fire on security forces, who retaliated.

Two militants were killed in the encounter. One of the slain militants was identified as Ishfaq Dar alias Abu Akram, a top commander of LeT. He was active since 2017, the official said, adding that further details were awaited.