Top Al Badr commander among six killed in Kashmir encounters

Srinagar, Jan 28 (PTI) A self-styled commander of Al Badr
outfit and a top Lashker-e-Toiba militant were among four
militants killed by security forces which also lost two jawans
in separate encounters in the Kashmir valley Wednesday.

The top Al-Badr commander Abu Hamza was killed in a
fierce gunfight with security forces at Amargarh village of
Sopore in Baramulla district, official sources said.

Hamza, a resident of Pak-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK) was the
operational commander of the militant outfit and had been
behind several attacks on the security forces in the past.

Army jawan Sohan Singh of 52 Rashtriya Rifles was also
killed in the encounter which began Tuesday evening and ended
Wednesday morning, the sources said, adding an AK-47 rifle and
four magazines were recovered.

After initial exchange of fire between the two sides, the
operation was suspended late Tuesday night. At dawn, security
forces resumed the operation and killed the lone militant
hiding in a house, the sources said.

The sources said another army jawan was killed when
militants opened heavy fire on a security search party at
Ayatmullah in Bandipora district Wednesday morning.

Two unidentified militants were also killed in the
retaliatory action, they said, adding their identity was
being ascertained.

Security forces had moved to the village following
specific information about presence of militants in the house
of one Abduld Aziz Lone at Lone Mohalla locality of the
village.

In another encounter that also broke out Tuesday at
village Bakihara in Handwara area of Kupwara district, a top
militant of Lashker-e-Toiba Abu Abdul Rehman was killed.

Four security personnel were also injured in the
encounter which ended this afternoon, the sources said. PTI
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