A top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander involved in the beheading of a policeman last year was killed by the security force in an encounter at Sudal-Magam village of Handwara in the border district of Kupwara. Abu Ukasha Afghani, a Pakistani national who was the divisional commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), was one of the most wanted militant commanders in Jammu and Kashmir.
A top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander involved in the beheading of a policeman last year was killed by the security force in an encounter at Sudal-Magam village of Handwara in the border district of Kupwara. Abu Ukasha Afghani, a Pakistani national who was the divisional commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), was one of the most wanted militant commanders in Jammu and Kashmir.
Police said acting on specific information, a joint column of Handwara police along with troops of 47 Rashtriya Riffles (RR), 21 RR, 6 RR launched a cordon and search operation in village Sudal area of Magam in Handwara on Sunday morning. "The militants fired upon the joint operation party and in the ensuing encounter an LeT militant was killed. The slain militant was identified as divisional commander of LeT Abu Ukasha Afghani. The search operation was going on," said a police spokesman.
Inspector general of police, Kashmir Zone, Abdul Ghani Mir told dna that Afghani was very important militant active in Handwara area. "He (Afghani) was one of the militants in the group that beheaded the policeman. His elimination is quite a good success for the security forces," he said.
Police sources said Afghani's killing will further demoralize the Lashkar ranks across north Kashmir since he was the main motivator of the outfit in the border district. Police said he was involved in number of terror attacks on the forces in north Kashmir.
This is the second major success of security forces in the renewed operations against the LeT militants for the last one week. On May 25, two local LeT militants were killed in and encounter with police and army in Nowpora-Frisal in south Kashmir district of Kulgam. Zubair Ahmad Bhat alias Musab and Ishfaq Ahmad Bhat alias Amir belonged to Ayatollah alias Maaz sub-group of LeT and were active in South Kashmir. Zubair was involved in the recent killing of panchyat member at Wanpuh.
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