Anti-counter insurgency wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police, the special operation group (SOG) and the Army today killed district commander of the LeT, Mohammad Ayoub Lone alias Habtullah alias Ayoub Lelhari in a brief gunfight, a police spokesman said here.
He said the LeT Commander was killed at Banderpora area of Koil village in Pulwama district, around 45 km south of Srinagar.
He said acting on specific information about movement of the LeT commander, the police along with the Army’s 55 RR and CRPF laid ambush.
“A vehicle in which the LeT commander was travelling was intercepted. The militant tried to flee and fired upon the joint party which was retaliated in which the militant was killed”, the spokesman said.
He said two police personnel also sustained injuries during the gunfight and one among them has been shifted to the Army’s 92 Base Hospital Badamibagh for treatment. “The condition of both Police personnel is stable”, he said. He claimed that one AK 47 rifle, 03 magazines and 54 rounds were seized from the killed militant. The police have arrested also driver of the vehicle.
The police said Ayoub had joined LeT militant outfit in 2015 and became very important operative of LeT. The police said was involved in number of offences including grenade attacks on Army camp, police post and killing of Sarpanch. The spokesman described his killing is a major success.
Since January the police and the army have killed five top militant commanders. The commanders are Bashir Lashkari, Junaid Mattu, Abu Dujana, Hizbul Mujahideen operational Chief, Yaseen Itoo and now Ayoub Lelhari.
