Top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Azad Malik who, police claim, was involved in the murder of journalist Shujaat Bukhari, was among six militants killed in a gunfight with security forces in Bijbehara area of Kashmir's Anantnag district on Friday.
The gunfight erupted in Sekipora village after army's 3 Rashtriya Rifles, paramilitary CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir police launched a cordon and search operation. “The team was fired upon by militants. The fire was retaliated, leading to a gunfight. In the process, six LeT militants were killed,” a police spokesperson said.
Two among the slain militants were identified as Azad Malik and Basit Mir. Police had accused Malik, along with Naveed Jatt, an LeT commander, of killing Shujaat Bukhari in Srinagar’s Press Enclave on June 14 this year.