Indian army kills militant commander in Indian-controlled Kashmir

A top militant commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant outfit was killed Friday in a fierce gunfight with Indian army and police in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said. The gunfight broke out late Thursday evening at Dudipora village in Handwara of frontier Kupwara district, around 100 km northwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian- controlled Kashmir. \"A top ranking commander of LeT militant outfit was gunned down here in a gunfight with contingents of police and Indian army, \" said a senior police officer posted in Handwara. The slain militant was identified as Abu Hanzullah. Police officials said contingents of police and Indian army troopers cordoned the area on intelligence inputs suggesting presence of militants there. \"When we cordoned the area, the search party was fired on which was retaliated, thereby triggering a gunfight,\" said the official. \"The gunfight was suspended for the night and resumed early in morning.\" Reports said, the house from where Hanzullah was firing on army and police positions also suffered a damage in the exchange of fire. LeT is accused of carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack that claimed 165 lives. Police said Hanzullah was involved in many attacks on Indian troops and police in the area. Police and Defence officials maintain that most of times the operations triggering gunfights are carried out on prior information about presence of militants in specific areas. A guerrilla war is going on between militants and the Indian troops stationed in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. The gunfight between militants and Indian army troopers takes place intermittently.