Srinagar, Nov 19 (KNS): The army on Sunday said that with the killing of six militants in Bandipora, the top leadership of militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) has been wiped out from Kashmir.
Addressing a press conference here, GoC Chinar Corps of Srinagar based 15th Corps, Lt General J.S. Sandhu, said, "With the elimination of six LeT commanders yesterday, we have been able to wipe out the top leadership of LeT in the Valley.”
Giving details about Saturday's Hajin operation, he said: "Hajin was an area of concern for us after militants killed some people in the area. We inducted Special Forces into the area and kept on getting good information. Chandegeer village was on our radar. These militants had been staying there in a house for two to three days,” he said.
He said six Pakistani militants including Osama Jungvi or Owaid, nephew of Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, and two other top LeT commanders Zargar and Mehmood, were killed in the encounter. An IAF commando was also killed in the gunfight.
Sandhu said such operations would continue till peace is not restored in Kashmir.
"We are working on two lines- one is counter militancy and the second is that we want the local militants to return,” he said.
Director General of J&K Police S.P. Vaid, at the joint presser refuted the claims of the Islamic State that it was responsible for carrying Zakura, Srinagar, attack on Friday in which a police officer and a militant were killed.
In reply to a question, he said: "No, it is yet to be verified. I don't think ISIS has any presence here." (KNS)