Srinagar: A Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant commander was killed in a brief encounter at Hatiwara area of Lethpora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Monday evening.

Official sources said that army’s 50 RR, SOG and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search operation in Hatwara, Letpora.

Army’s Srinagar based defence spokesperson Col Rajesh Kalia said that a gunfight broke out at Hatiwara. A militant was killed during the encounter. The body of the militant was recovered along with an AK-rifle.

Meanwhile, sources identified the militant as Mufti Waqas, JeM operational Chief Commander for South Kashmir, a resident of Pakistan.

Army claimed that Mufti Waqas, a Cat A militant has been ‘eliminated’ in a surgical operation. They said that he was the mastermind of Sunjawan attack and Letapore attack.

“There have been no civilian casualties or collateral damage. This has resulted in a major dent to the designs of JeM as after elimination of their earlier operational commander Noor Mohammad Tantrey in the same area in Dec 17, his successor too has been killed,” army said. 

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