Author: Press Trust Of India
Publication: The Statesman
Date: October 30, 2001
SRINAGAR, Oct. 29. - Security forces
killed the Lashkar-e-Taiyaba militant holed up in a mosque in central Kashmir's
Badgam district this morning ending a 45-hour-long stand-off without any
damage to the place of worship, an official spokesman said here.
After killing the militant hiding
in a bathroom adjacent to the mosque with a grenade, troops conducted a
thorough search to ensure that no other ultra was present inside the religious
place in Pazan village, 18 km from here, he said. Four BSF personnel and
a special police officer were injured in the operation, the spokesman said.
An AK assault rifle, four magazines and 27 rounds of ammunition were recovered
from the slain ultra.
Earlier reports that the militant
belonged to the Hizbul Mujahideen or Jaish-e-Mohammed were proved wrong
as the documents seized from the slain ultra indicated he was a member
of the Lashkar-e-Taiyaba, he said. The operation to clear the mosque of
the militant started last evening when a joint party of the SOG and BSF
moved inside. The ultra resorted to heavy firing and lobbed grenades critically
injuring an SPO and a BSF jawan. The operation was suspended late last
night though the troops had taken up position on the second floor of the
mosque.
Suspecting the militant was hiding,
security forces today searched the area. However, when the forces moved
towards the bathroom adjacent to the main mosque, the militant hurled a
grenade at them injuring three BSF jawans. The troops killed the ultra.
GREF officials injured: Militants
triggered an IED in Doda district of Jammu division last night injuring
three government officers who were travelling in an Army vehicle, officials
said.
