Awantipora: Jammu and Kashmir police chief Dilbagh Singh has said that the the two militants killed in a gunfight that raged at Samboora village in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Sunday afternoon had been identified as one of the longest surviving LeT commander and his close aide, both of them locals from south Kashmir.
Addressing a press conference this afternoon at District Police Lines Awantipora, Singh identified the duo as Aijaz Ahmad Reshi, who he said, was one of the longest surviving militant commanders of Lashkar outfit.
As per DGP Singh, Reshi was working as Over Ground Worker (OGW) in 2015 and joined militancy even before the slain Hizb commander, Burhan Wani.

Singh called slain Reshi a “dangerous militant” who carried out deadly attacks on government forces inflicting heavy casualties.
The DGP said that Reshi had played an active part in the gunfight at EDI Pampore in which eight CRPF men were killed adding he had transported the Lashkar men to the spot as well.
Reshi, as per Singh, had also fired at an army party at Kadlabal Pampore killing three soldiers besides taking part in a “series of attacks on security forces”.
The DGP further said that Reshi was the main recruiter for the Lashkar and had recruitment many youth including Towseef Ahmad Khanday, Rafiq Ahmad Dar and Adil Ahmed, all slain Lashkar militants.
The second militant killed in the gunfight at Samboora was identified as Sajad Ahmed Sofi a local who, Singh said, was “recruited by Aijaz and trained by him only”.
The duo’s bodies were retrieved on Monday along with two AK-47 riffles, two magazines, some rounds, and “incriminating material” as per Singh.
He said the bodies could not be recovered last night due to darkness.
The DGP termed the killing of Reshi “a big success” for the forces saying “there will be dip in the local militant recruitment where he was operating”. (KNO)

Reader correspondent