LOC12:33
09:33 GMT
NEW DELHI, May 9 (KUNA) -- Indian security forces killed a top commander of
the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist group in a gunbattle in India's northern
most state of Jammu and Kashmir Saturday morning.
The slain terrorist was later identified as Abu Samama, a Pakistani
national. His bodyguard Barkat Ali, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, was also
killed.
Security forces recovered arms and ammunition from the slain militants
possession.
One Indian Army soldier was also injured in the gunbattle, which took place
in the states Doda district.
Media reports picked up here said that in a joint operation, the Indian
Army and police threw a tight cordon around the Dhar forest area of Doda
district, about 170 km from here, late on Friday night following a tip off
about the presence of terrorists.
"We managed to hole in the group and the gunbattle began this morning
(Saturday)," the reports quoted top police official Hemant Lohiaas saying.
Brigadier Gurdeep Singh, chief of General Staff of 16 Corps, said, "LeT
district commander Abu Samama and his bodyguard Barkat Ali were killed in the
operation. While Samama was a Pakistani national, Ali was a local militant."
He added that Samama had been active in this area for the last four to five
years and his killing was a "big blow" to the LeT. (end)
py.ema
KUNA 091233 May 09NNNN