Top commander of Lashkar-e-Tayiba (LeT) Bashir Lashkari , who had killed six policemen and mutilated their bodies last month at Achabal, was killed on Saturday along with another ultra Azad Malik in a long stretched encounter with security forces in Dailgam village of Anantnag district in South Kashmir.

Two civilians, including a woman identified as Tahira Begum (44 years) and Shahbad Ahmed Chopan (21 years), who were among the crowd that pelted stones at the security forces were also killed when the security forces fired to disperse the mob. More than 12 youth in the mob that gathered at the encounter site to pelt stones at the security forces so as to divert their attention and make the holed up terrorists escape were injured.

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The encounter had to be prolonged by the security forces to save life of 17 persons who were reportedly being used as human shield by the ultras. The security forces within minutes eliminated the terrorists after these people were rescued. Another report said these people had gone into the house to protect the terrorists and laid the condition that either let the two terrorists go freely or kill us along with them.

Lashkari was carrying a reward of Rs.10 lakh on his head after killing the six policemen, including the SHO Feroze Ahmad, in an ambush near Achabal in Anantnag on June 16. The police was hounding for Lashkari and trapped him on Saturday morning after getting intelligence input that he was hiding in the Dailgam village.

Lashkari had crossed over to Pakistan in 1999 for terrorist training and returned and surrendered before the police in 2012 under the amnesty scheme of the state government. However, after availing all financial benefits under the scheme, he again joined the LeT in October 2015 and had been targeting police and security personnel.

Conflicting versions about killing of the two civilians were given out by the police and the army. While the police in its tweet claimed they had died in crossfire, the army spokesman clarified that the two were not killed in crossfire but during mob control.

He said that bodies of the two terrorists have been recovered from under the debris and two AK assault rifles have also been found.

The Army, CRPF and police cordoned and launched search operations in the village immediately after receiving inputs of presence of these terrorists. While the cordon was being laid, the terrorists opened fire at the troops who retaliated. However, the security forces had to silence their guns for some time after receiving reports that 17 persons, including children, women and elderly persons, were trapped in the house with the terrorists. Efforts to rescue the civilians proved fruitful and thereafter the security forces blew up the house in which the terrorists were hiding.

Soon after the encounter began, hundreds of villagers gathered raising slogans against the security forces and started pelting stones at them. Pleadings of the police to the mob to vacate the area fell in deaf ears and the security forces fired a few shots in an effort to smoothly conduct the operation against the terrorists. The two civilians received bullet injuries and succumbed while being taken to the hospital.