26/11 mastermind Lakhvi's nephew, 5 other ultras killed

Srinagar/ New Delhi: Security forces gunned down six terrorists, including Abdul Rehman Makki's son and 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi's nephew Owaid during an encounter in north Kashmir's Bandipora district on Saturday. A Garud commando of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was also killed and an Army soldier injured in the encounter. Arms and ammunition were recovered from the site.

It all started when security forces cordoned off and launched a search operation at Chandergeer village in Hajin area of the district after receiving specific intelligence input about the presence of terrorists in the area, a police official said. The search operation resulted in an encounter when the militants hiding there fired on the search party of the security forces, who retaliated.

"Six terrorists have been killed in an ongoing encounter at Hajin," Srinagar-based Defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said here. An Indian Air Force Garud commando was also killed and an Army soldier was injured in the encounter, he added.

The Garud Commando Force is the special forces unit of the Indian Air Force. The operation was on at the time of going to press.

Meanwhile, the Army's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) on Saturday asked his Pakistani counterpart to take steps to ensure peace and tranquility along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.

During a telephonic conversation, Lt Gen A K Bhatt told his Pakistani counterpart that there appeared to be a "disconnect" between the Pakistan Army's reiteration about the desire for peace and the action of its troops, official sources said.

Citing various incidents, Bhatt said that Pakistani troops resort to heavy firing without provocation, they said. The telephonic conversation between the two Directors General of Military Operations took place following a request by the Pakistani side.

Lt Gen Bhatt impressed upon the Pakistan Director General of Military Operations Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza that there appeared to be a "disconnect between the intent at the Pakistani General Headquarters which reiterates its desire for peace and the actions of Pakistani troops along the Line of Control, who resort to heavy firing without provocation," a source said.

Bhatt further exhorted his Pakistani counterpart to resolve this "existent credibility gap" to ensure that peace and tranquility is maintained along the Line of Control. The Pakistan Army Director General of Military Operations alleged that Indian security forces have resorted to unproved firing and targeted civilians along the Line of Control in the Pooch sector.

Bhatt, however, made it clear that the Indian Army always maintains impeccable standards of professionalism and does not target civilians in any manner.