Indian Police Kill 3 Lashkar-e-Taiba Militants In Jammu And Kashmir - Police Chief

NEW DELHI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd June, 2021) Indian police killed three militants of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist organization (banned in Russia) in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Police Chief Dilbag Singh said on Monday.

"All three of the killed militants were commanders. Among them, Mudasir Pandit was the most senior commander known by various Names. He was the commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba since June 2019. He was involved in several killings, including of four civilians, nine members of the security forces, two former militants and others," Singh told reporters.

The police chief added that two AK-47 assault rifles, one Type 56 assault rifle, a pistol and ammunition were seized from the militants.

Lashkar-e-Taiba is one of the largest and most active Islamist militant organizations in South Asia.

The group reportedly operates a number of terrorist training camps in Pakistani-controlled parts of Kashmir and is banned in India. The group is responsible for many deadly attacks in India, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks that left over 170 people dead and more than 300 injured.

In 2019, the Indian government announced its decision to strip the Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir region of its special status and split it into two union territories � Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The decision provoked a sharp reaction from neighboring Pakistan, which claimed that New Delhi was mistreating the region's Muslim population that was fighting for its rights. India, on its part, accuses Islamabad of backing separatists, who undermine the region's security.