JeM's top Pakistani commander killed in Baramulla

Srinagar, Oct 9 (PTI) In a major setback to Jaish-e-Mohammad (J.e.M.), security forces Thursday shot dead its self-styled militant commander along with his close associate, both Pakistanis, during a five-hour gunbattle in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Zaheer Ahmad alias "Pasha", the "chief commander" of
Pakistan-based J.e.M., and Saifullah alias "Faisal" were
killed in a gunfight at Warpora village of Sopore, 55 k.m.
from here, this afternoon, a police spokesman said.

Both the militants were residents of Pakistan, he said
adding the gunbattle took place when police assisted by
Rashtriya Rifles launched a search operation following
specific information about presence of two top ultras there.

The militants, hiding in the house of one Fayaz Ahmad
Ganai, opened fire on the joint search party around 0800 hours
IST and an encounter ensued.

Two AK assault rifles and some ammunition were
recovered from the possession of the slain militants, the
spokesman said.

He said the duo were active in the valley since 1998
and were wanted in a large number of militancy-related
incidents.

Terming the killing of Pasha as a "severe jolt" to the
militancy in general and J.e.M. in particular, the spokesman
said the "commander" had evaded arrest during a number of
anti-militant operations in the past.

The killing of the two top militants of J.e.M. comes
close on the heels of the elimination of another dreaded
militant and battalion commander of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen
(H.u.M.) outfit Wahab alias Ali Khubaeb in Sopore on Monday.
PTI AMS