Amarnath yatra attack mastermind Abu Ismail killed in J&K

Encounter took place outside Srinagar

Security personnel stand guard near the encounter site in Nowgam, on the outskirts of Srinagar on Thursday.

The Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)’s recently-anointed operational commander Abu Ismail, said to be responsible for the July 10 attack on Amarnath pilgrims that left eight dead, was killed along with his associate in an encounter on the outskirts of Srinagar on Thursday afternoon.

J&K Director General of Police S.P. Vaid said Ismail was the main accused in the Amarnath yatra attack. “We had prior information about the presence of two foreign terrorists,” said Mr. Vaid.

Ismail and his associate, Chota Qasim, were killed in a brief encounter at Aarigam area near Nowgam on the outskirts of Srinagar. The militant has been the prime target of the security agencies since the July attack.

Arms recovered

Residents said the firing lasted just around 10 minutes, indicating at a well-planned trap. Two AK 47 rifles and other materials were recovered from the slain militants, said the police.

Ismail replaced Abu Dujana as operational commander of LeT earlier this year. He along with another LeT commander Arif Lelhari raided banks in south Kashmir and decamped with cash on several occasions. He was active in Kashmir for less than an year, said police sources.

“Militant leadership has to be eliminated because they also misguide our children and lure them into this,” said Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, (IGP) Muneer Khan.

“The operation was important because we are expecting vacuum in the top leadership of LeT,” said B.S. Raju, General Officer Commanding, Army’s Victor Force.