Six killed in Valley; militant accused in Shujaat Bukhari killing is one of them

A top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander allegedly involved in the killing of the valley based prominent journalist Shujaat Bukhari was among six militants killed in a gunfight with security forces in Bijbehara area of south Kashmir's Anantnag district on Friday, November 23.

A police official said that mixed columns of army, police and Central Reserved Police Force launched a cordon-and-search operation in the forest area of Shalgund, Saktipora village in Bijbhera town, following the specific inputs about the presence of militants in the area.

As the operation was in progression, militants inside a hide-out opened fire on the forces, the official said, adding that the latter immediately returned the fire, triggering an encounter.

The encounter, according to official, lasted for just few hours and ended with the killing of six militants including a top LeT commander.

The official identified the militants as Azad Ahmad Malik alias Dada Malik, Anees Shafi Bhat, both residents of Bijbehara, Anantnag, Basit Ahmad Mir, resident ofPushwara, Anantnag, Atif Nazir, resident of Waghama, Anantnag, Shahid Ahmad and Firdous Ahmad, residents of Awantipora and Machpuna areas of district Pulwama respectively.

Malik, a top LeT commander was named by police as one of the three militants who assassinated Shujaat Bukhari, editor of popular valley based English daily news paper Rising Kashmir on June 14 along with his two personal security guards in Srinagar.

This is the fourth time since November 1 when people woke up to a briefly concluded encounter in south Kashmir. Earlier this month at least eight militants were killed in three separate pre- dawn gun fights in the villages of Shopian and Pulwama.