Militant from Al-Qaeda affiliate killed in Pulwama

According to the police, the slain militant, Shabir Ahmad Malik from Tral’s Nagbal, was affiliated with the AGH, which was led by Zakir Musa.

Security forces on Wednesday killed a top commander of Al-Qaeda affiliate Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH) in an encounter in Pulwama’s Tral.

A police spokesman said a group of AGH militants was encircled at Branpatri, a forest area in Tral, in a pre-dawn search operation. “One militant was killed in the exchange of fire. The body was also recovered later,” the spokesman said.

According to the police, the slain militant, Shabir Ahmad Malik from Tral’s Nagbal, was affiliated with the AGH, which was led by Zakir Musa. Officials said Malik was among the top commanders of the group and had also released an audio after Musa’s killing in May this year.

“Malik was initially affiliated with Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). He was wanted for his complicity in several crimes, including attacks on security establishments. He was part of groups responsible for planning and executing attacks in the area,” said the police spokesman.

His name also figured in an FIR in Jammu’s Trikuta Nagar pertaining to the “planning and preparation for carrying out attacks in Jammu”, the police added.