Top LeT militant who attacked Sopore apple trader shot dead

Srinagar: In a major operation, Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday gunned down a top Lashkar-e-Taiba militant who was responsible for attacking a leading apple trader’s family in which a girl child had also been injured. Some policemen were also injured in the exchange of fire but are said to be out of danger.
Asif Maqbool Bhat was killed in a brief shootout with the police and security forces in Sopore around 9 a.m.
‘When we intercepted Bhat today (Wednesday), he attacked us. He threw a grenade at us. A few police personnel were injured but they are out of danger. In the ensuing encounter, the militant was neutralised,” Director General of Police Dilbag Singh said in a press briefing.
He said Bhat had attacked the family of Haji Hamidullah Rather, a prominent fruit grower of Sopore and a resident of Danger-pora area, on September 8.
‘The militant fired at the family members of Rather, injuring four of them including a girl aged between four and seven years. The girl is admitted here in a hospital. Other members of the family were also evacuated from that place.”
The girl was Rather’s daughter Asma. (IANS)