The Army today claimed to have killed a deputy chief and a divisional commander of militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba in an encounter in Ganderbal area of Srinagar district.On information provided by some local contacts, an Army spokesman said, troops of Rashtriya Rifles carried out an operation at Hapatnar Chont Wali war in Ganderbal area early on Sunday. The slain militants were identified as Abu Abdullah, alias Saddam alias Muslim, divisional commander of Lashkar and Abu Hataf alias M2 alias Lala, deputy and financial chief of the same outfit.A huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site, including two AK rifles, a satellite phone, some money and certificates of Pakistani intelligence. The spokesman termed the killings as a big set back for the outfit and the emerging resentment of locals against the militants who have started providing information to the troops. Police, however, said that both the slain militants were associated with JK Freedom Force.In an another incident, police said militants abducted Mohammad Shafi Wani, a carpenter from Bimroo Kokernag. They added that militants also fired and shot dead a civilian at Sumlar Bandipora on Sunday afternoon. The deceased has been identified as Ghulam Nabi Khan of Sumlar village.
