IAF commando, six militants killed in J&K gunfight

A commando of the IAF's Garud force and six foreign militants, including top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi's nephew, were killed in a gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district on Saturday, officials said.

Among the six foreign militants killed was Owaid, the nephew of LeT operation commander Lakhvi, the mastermind of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. He is also on the most wanted list of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Two other foreign militants, including LeT commanders Zargam and Mehmood, are also among the militants killed on Saturday, police said.

Defence Ministry Spokesman Col. Rajesh Kalia said troopers of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) surrounded Chandergair village in Hajin area of Bandipora district, following information about the presence of militants there.

As the cordon around the hiding militants was tightened, they fired at the security forces, triggering a gunbattle in which one soldier of the Indian Air Force's Garud Commandos was killed, while six terrorists were also neutralised, he said.

The Garud Commando Force is the special forces unit of the IAF.

"One soldier has also sustained injuries in the operation," Col. Kalia said.

The operation has now ended, police said. - IANS