JAMMU, NOVEMBER 23: Two militants belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit were killed in the ongoing encounter between them and the security forces which entered second day on Thursday in the border Rajouri district’s Kalakote area of Jammu and Kashmir.
One of the slain militants has been identified as Quari, a Pakistani national, officials said, adding that one more Army soldier was killed in the operation raising the total death toll on the side of security forces to five. On Wednesday, four soldiers including two Captains and a JCO were killed there.
About Quari, officials said that he had masterminded the killings at Dangri and in Kandi earlier this year.
While seven civilians were killed and 14 others injured in twin attacks by militants earlier this year, five soldiers from Army’s special forces were killed in an ambush by them in May last.
A harcore terrorist, he had been “trained on Pakistan and Afghan front”, said an Army statement issued here.
He was a highly ranked militant leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba and he had been active in Rajouri-Poonch alongwith his group from past one year.
He was sent to revive terrorism in the region and he was an he was an expert in IEDs fabrication, operating and hiding from caves, besides being a trained sniper, it added.
Four Army men, including two captains and a JCO, were killed, and a Major was injured in the intense firefight on Wednesday.
The operation is in progress.