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Lashkar Top Gun Killed in Kashmir Gunfight

By Fayaz Wani

Srinagar, April 14: A top commander of the Pakistan based militant group, Lashkar-e-Toiba was killed in a gunfight with police and para-military personnel in the summer capital, Srinagar, on Monday.

Giving details, a top police officer of Srinagar, S A Mujtaba said that police received specific information that commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba was hiding at Harwan in outskirts of Srinagar. "After receiving the inputs, police and para-military personnel laid siege around the area to flush out the militants. During the combing operation, the militants hiding in the area fired from automatic weapons towards the soldiers. The fire was returned by the troops, triggering an encounter. In the ensuing gunfight, that lasted for more than eight hours, a Lashkar commander was killed," the police officer said.

Identifying the slain militant commander as Abu Nasai alias Zakira, the police officer claimed that he was a Pakistani national.

An AK rifle, 2 magazines and 3 grenades were recovered from the encounter site, the police officer claimed.

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.