Security forces shot dead a top-ranking militant of lashkar-e-Tayyeba (leT) in a brief encounter at Kakpora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. The slain militant was involved in killing eight Army personnel in a sensational attack on a convoy at Hyderpora in Srinagar two years ago. He was ranked among the most-wanted militants in Kashmir and carried a cash reward.
Sources said that police and security forces cordoned off Begambagh Naman village near Kakapora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday afternoon after receiving specific input on the presence of militants there. While the cordon was being laid, militants opened fire in an attempt to break the cordon. The security forces retaliated for some time before a lull occurred.
Sources said that security forces presumed militants fled away through paddy fields when there was no firing for quite some time. However, during search operation of the area, a militant was found in a pool of blood. Sources said he had received a bullet and died instantly. He was immediately identified as Irshad Ahmad Ganai, a top commander of leT, who was active in the area since 2011.
Sources said that Ganai was the main attacker in sensational highway attack in June 2013 when motorbike-borne militants indiscriminately opened fire on a moving convoy and killed eight soldiers. It was widely believed that Ganai was the pillion rider carrying AK-47 rifle who carried out the carnage. This was the fiercest attacks on Army in several years in Kashmir. Ganai was active in Shopian-Pulwama, Budgam belt and occasionally enetered in capital Srinagar, sources said. He was in the A-plus category of militants and carried a cash reward on his head.
This is second major setback to leT in south Kashmir during a month’s time. On August 11, two local militants of the outfit Showkat Ahmad lone and Gulzar Ahmad Bhat were killed in lajura Ratnipora area of Pulwama district. Before that, onAugust 6, a local top lashkar militant Talib Hussain Shah was killed in a brief encounter with security forces at Astan Mohalla, Kakapora in the district.
Soon after Ganai’s body was recovered, protesters took to streets and engaged security forces in stone-pelting. The security forces fired tear gas shells to disperse protesters.