A top militant of terror outfit Hij-bul Mujahideen was on Tuesday killed in an encounter with the army and police in a gunbattle in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Acting on specific information about the presence of the top commander in remotest Thachna-Gokund forests in Nawapachi belt in the district, troops of 11 Rastriya Rifles and police cordoned off the area and launched a search operation, Senior Superintendent of Police Kishtwar Bhim Sen Toti said.
As the troops closed in on the forest hideout, the militants fired on them, triggering a fierce gunbattle as troops fired back early this morning, he said.
In the gunbattle, Deputy Divisional Commander of HM, Subash Kumar Shaan, alias Kamran alias Wasif, was killed, the SSP said.
Shaan, son of Jeevan Lal of Radhna village in Palmar belt in Kishtwar ditrict, had joined militancy 2001 and converted to Islam.
Earlier in the day, the SSP had said the militant killed was Sajjad Ahmed Mir.
The slain commander had earlier been wrongly identified as district commander of HM Sajjad Ahmed Mir alias Rizwan due to "mistaken identity", the SSP said.
Troops also recovered one AK-47 rifle, two magazines, 37 ammunition rounds and one radio set from the encounter spot.
He was active in South of Pir Panchal ranges in Doda-Kishtwar belt for the past 11 years.
Subash was involved in the killing of 6 persons including 3 security personnel and was wanted in 7 cases, the SSP said. In recently-concluded panchayat polls, he was actively involved in extortion and his sway extended to Tatwoin, Metwan and Dachin areas, an official spokesman said.
Subash had thrice eluded security forces after he was corned in the past few months, he said.
