In a significant breakthrough, three dreaded Lashkar-e-Taiba militants, including Lateef Rather who killed Kashmiri Pandit employee Rahul Bhat in May this year, were gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.
“All the three hiding LeT #terrorists #neutralised. Bodies being retrieved from the site, identication yet to be ascertained. #Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition recovered. A big success for us,” Additional Director General of Police (Kashmir Zone) Vijay Kumar tweeted.
#BudgamEncounterUpdate: All the three hiding LeT #terrorists #neutralised. Bodies being retrieved from the site, identication yet to be ascertained. #Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition recovered. A big success for us: ADGP Kashmir@JmuKmrPolice https://t.co/lMowJOVy0v
— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) August 10, 2022
In a tweet later, Kumar said the slain terrorists included Rather, who was behind the killing of Rahul Bhat and TV actor Amreen Bhat in May.
“#Terrorist Lateef Rather @ Abdullah, killer of Rahul Bhat & Amreen Bhat among the three killed #terrorists. He was involved in several #terror crime cases, including several civilian #killings & #atrocities,” Kumar said.
Rahul Bhat was shot dead by militants inside the Tehsil office at Chadoora on May 12. He had got a job as a clerk under the special employment package for migrants in 2011-12. Popular social media star and TV actor Amreen Bhat, 35, was killed by militants outside her house in the Hushru area of Budgam district. Her 10-year-old nephew, Farhan Zubair, had sustained bullet injuries in his arm in the attack.
The encounter began after the police received a tip-off about the presence of some militants at the encounter site. A manhunt was then launched at Waterhail in the Khansahib area of the district. The search operation, however, turned into an encounter after the militants opened fire at the security forces, prompting a retaliation.
Police had earlier said three Lashkar men, including most wanted Lateef Rather, were trapped in the encounter. “03 #terrorists of #terror outfit LeT(TRF) including terrorist Lateef Rather trapped in ongoing #encounter. Terrorist Lateef is involved in several #civilian #killings including Rahul Bhat & Amreen Bhat,” Kumar tweeted.
(With PTI inputs)
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