In a joint operation, Jammu and Kashmir Police and security forces shot dead a Lashkar-e-Taiba militant at Hushanpora in South Kashmir on Saturday.
Official sources said that the police, the Army and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) launched a joint-operation after receiving a communication from Superintendent of Police, Sopore, on the presence of two LeT militants at a hideout at Hushanpora Imamsahib village in Shopian district, 50km from here.
Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Abdul Gani Mir told to The Hindu that the LeT's ‘District Commander’ in Shopian, Mohammad Abbas Rishi alias Abid Bhai of Alishapora, died in exchange of gunfire with the security forces in the beginning of the six-hour-long operation. A civilian, Ghulam Ahmad Parray alias Ama Parray, was wounded. He was quickly evacuated and rushed to a hospital.
Deputy Inspector General of Police in South Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, who supervised the cordon-and-search operation with Brigade commander of Sector-2, added that the LeT's Pakistani militant Omar escaped from the marked hideout and was believed to be hiding somewhere in the neighbourhood. But a search operation yielded nothing till late in the evening.
Mr. Kumar said that Rishi was involved in the assassination of the released militant, Shabir Ahmad Mir, in September. He was also instrumental behind the slaying of a CRPF jawan whose assault rifle was snatched away at Abnera, Kulgam.
Rishi was a madrasa drop out at Parigam Kulgam, who was indoctrinated into militancy by the LeT's Kulgam ‘District Commander’ Khomeini in 2011. He had issued threats to a number of panches and sarpanches, the DIG said.
Rishi’s AK-47 rifle and a mobile phone with Voice Over Internet Protocol facility have been seized. Sources said that the police cyber cell in Srinagar would examine the seized cellphone’s call detail record to find out and interrogate the people he used to be in touch with.
