Militant commander killed in Indian-controlled Kashmir

A militant commander belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) was killed Saturday in a gunfight with troops in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said.

The gunfight broke out Friday night in village Dardpora-Lolpora of frontier Kupwara district, about 110 km northwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"A militant was killed in Kupwara during an overnight gunfight," Indian military spokesman Col N N Joshi told Xinhua. "The area has been cordoned off and a search operation is going on in the area."

Police officers said troops had information about the presence of three militants in the area.

"It seems the remaining two have managed to break the cordon and escaped from the spot," a police officer said.

The slain militant was identified as Abu Usama Zarar, a LeT commander, police said.

Zara is said to be a non-local militant.

LeT outfit is accused of carrying out a terror attack on India's financial capital Mumbai in 2008. The attack claimed 166 lives.

On Tuesday, a militant was killed in southern district of Anantnag during a gunfight.

A guerilla war is going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in Indian- controlled Kashmir since 1989. Gunfights between the two sides take place intermittently across the region.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their Independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir. Endit