The most wanted Pakistani commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Naveed Jatt, who was killed along with his associate in an encounter in the Budgam district of central Kashmir on Wednesday, was part of the group of Ajmal Kasab who was hanged for killing several innocent people in the Mumbai terror attack in November 2008.
Police said that Jatt underwent terror training with Kasab in a Madrassa in Pakistan.
Three Army personnel were injured in the encounter that broke out in the Kuthpora Chattergam of Budgam district in the wee hours today.
The DGP J-K Police, Dilbag Singh, said that Pakistan will be asked through proper channels to take the body of Jatt as he was a national of that country.
The killing of the Multan born A++ category terrorist Jatt is considered a major achievement as he was involved in several terror attacks at the Army, CRPF and police personnel after he infiltrated into Kashmir six years ago in 2012.
He was arrested in 2014 but in February this year managed to escape from the custody of police while he was being taken to the Srinagar’s SMHS hospital for medical examination from the Central Jail. Two policemen were killed in the shootout during his escape.
Police said that he also figured in the killing of senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari, who was murdered outside his newspaper office in Press Enclave on Residency Road in Srinagar.
Jatt was last seen during funeral of a terrorist in south Kashmir, where he also paid gun salute to the slain militant. He had recently uploaded a video on Internet, showing him walking during a snowfall in a forested area.
The DGP said that in the past week several terrorists involved in killing of innocent civilians have been eliminated.
The killing of Jatt is a major blow for militant groups including LeT, as most of their top commanders were killed in past three months. In the month of November, the armed forces have killed around 37 militants, which is highest this year.
Giving details of the encounter, a police spokesman said that Jatt had a long history of terror records. He was involved in killing of an Assistant Sub-Inspector of police in Pulwama in May 2013, series of grenade attacks on security forces and was involved in killing of CRPF personnel at Awneera Shopian in August 2013.
Besides, he was also involved in conspiring and executing several bank robberies and terror attacks in South Kashmir including attack at the Court Complex, Pulwama, in March 2014 in which two policemen were martyred, attack on polling party in Shopian on April 2014 in which several civilians sustained injuries and one presiding officer namely Zai-ul-Haq Wani was killed, attack on police party at Bongam Shopian on June 2014 in which several civilians and policemen were injured.