SRINAGAR: A top Pakistani militant of Lashkar-e-Toiba ( LeT) Qari was killed in the ongoing gunfight with security forces in the forest area of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.
Four Army personnel, including two captains of special forces, were killed and two others injured in the encounter on Wednesday.
A security official said that a fresh firing resumed on Thursday morning in Bajimaal area of Dharmsal belt. In the gunfight, A Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist identified as Qari was killed.
"He has been trained on the Pakistan and Afghan front. He is a highly ranked terrorist leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba", an army official said.
The Pakistani terrorist has been active in Rajouri-Poonch along with his group for the past year, he said, adding he is also believed to be the mastermind of the Dangri and Kandi attacks.
Quari was sent to revive terrorism in the region, the official said, adding he is an expert in IEDs.
The army and police launched a massive combing and search operation in the Dharmsal-Kamalkote forest area of Rajouri on Wednesday to track down a group of militants hiding there.
During the search operation, militants fired on the troops and in the day-long encounter, four army men including two officers, Captain MV Pranjal and Captain Shubham were killed and two security men including a Major were injured.
Army’s Special Forces are assisting the troops on the ground in the anti-militancy operation. The army is also using drones, quadcopters and sniffer dogs to pinpoint the location of the militants hiding in the dense forest area.
According to security officials, militants are taking advantage of treacherous mountains and difficult terrain and use natural caves in the forest areas as their hide-outs.
There have been many encounters between militants and security forces in the thick forest areas in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch this year.
On November 17, a militant was killed in an encounter with troops in the Guller Behrote area of Rajouri.
In September this year, two militants and an army man were killed in a two-day-long gunfight in the Narla area of Rajouri.
At least 10 army men were killed in twin militant attacks in forest areas of border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in April and May this year.
Earlier, on January 1 and 2, seven civilians were killed and a dozen others injured in twin militant attacks in a village in Rajouri.