Three LeT militants killed in Anantnag encounter

At least three Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) militants, believed to be involved in the killing of six policemen last month, were killed in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on Monday night. 

Sources said based on a specific input about the movement of the militants, Army's Rashtriya Rifles troops and special operations group (SOG) of J&K police laid an ambush in Wanihama village of Anantnag, 55 km from here. 

"As the militants reached the ambush area at around 8.45 pm, the security forces killed them in a brief encounter," they said. 

J&K Director General Police Sheh Pal Vaid while confirming the killing of the militants, tweeted: "In a chance encounter 3 terrorists killed near Anantnag by a joint team of security forces. Their identities are being ascertained. Well done!"

Sources identified the slain militants as Showkat Lohar, Muddasir and Jibran, all locals. "They belonged to LeT module which had last month carried an attack on police vehicle in nearby



Achabal area, killing six policemen, including SHO Feroz Dar. The commander of this module Bashir Lashkari had been eliminated by the security forces in Arwani area of Anantnag on July 1," they revealed.

Earlier in the day, militants attacked an army convoy at Bijbehara in Anantnag in which one person was injured. A police official said Haji Abdullah, 60, a resident of Arwani in Bijbehara, suffered a bullet injury on his left thigh and is undergoing treatment at the Bone and Joint Hospital here.

With militancy, especially home grown, on rise, security forces have launched a massive operation to flush out the terrorists. Nearly 110 militants have been killed so far this year, which is highest in the last eight years. The security forces are going after militants as part of operation "hunt down" and on the basis of a "hit list" of militants. On Saturday, three militants of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit were killed in an encounter with security forces in Tral area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district.