Top Hijbul militant killed in J&K

Jammu (PTI) - A top "Hindu" militant of terror
outfit Hij-bul Mujahideen was Tuesday killed in an encounter
with the army and police in a gunbattle in Kishtwar district
of north Indian state Jammu and Kashmir.
Acting on specific information about the presence of
the top commander in remotest Thachna-Gokund forests in
Nawapachi belt in the district, troops of 11 Rastriya Rifles
and police cordoned off the area and launched a search
operation, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kishtwar Bhim
Sen Toti said.
As the troops closed in on the forest hideout, the
militants fired on them, triggering a fierce gunbattle as
troops fired back early this morning, he said.
In the gunbattle, Deputy Divisional Commander of HM,
Subash Kumar Shaan, alias Kamran alias Wasif, was killed, the
SSP said.
Shaan, son of Jeevan Lal of Radhna village in Palmar
belt in Kishtwar ditrict, had joined militancy 2001 and
converted to Islam.
Earlier in the day, the SSP had said the militant killed
was Sajjad Ahmed Mir.
The slain commander had earlier been wrongly
identified as district commander of HM Sajjad Ahmed Mir alias
Rizwan due to "mistaken identity", the SSP said.
Troops also recovered one AK-47 rifle, two magazines, 37
ammunition rounds and one radio set from the encounter spot.
He was active in South of Pir Panchal ranges in
Doda-Kishtwar belt for the past 11 years.