Three Lashkar-e-Toiba militants, including two Pakistanis, said to be responsible for carrying out an attack on Amarnath pilgrims in July this year, were killed in an encounter in South Kashmir.
One militant, who had managed to flee from the encounter site, was also arrested by the police from a maternity hospital of Anantnag district of South Kashmir.
The encounter began on Monday when militants opened fire on an army convoy on its way to Srinagar, at Qazigund on Jammu-Srinagar national highway. One soldier was killed in the attack.
The security forces cordoned off the area and launched a hunt for the militants. The search operation turned into an encounter with militants which ended at 2 am on Tuesday. The dead militants were identified as Yawar Basir, a local, Abu Furqan and Abu Maviya (both foreign terrorists). Basir, hailing from Habiash of Kulgam, joined ranks with LeT this year in February after snatching weapon from a policeman.
Furqan had taken over as the head of LeT in South Kashmir after the death of Abu Ismail, who had led the attack on Amarnath pilgrims in July this year.
