A militant commander of Pakistan based militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammad, suspected of masterminding an attack on a leading Indian Hindu religious site a couple of years back, was killed in a gunfight with Indian police in Jammu region in the restive state of Jammu and Kashmir. Four persons including a close associate of slain militant commander were arrested after the gunfight.Giving details of the encounter, a senior police officer of Jammu region said that Jammu and Kashmir police and Indian capital Delhi police received specific information that a top militant of Jaish-e-Mohammad was hiding in the Janipur area in Jammu region of the violence hit Jammu and Kashmir. He said at around 0200 hours, a joint operation was launched by J&K police and Delhi Police in the area to flush out the militant commander and his associates.
After sealing all the escape routes, the soldiers zeroed in on a residential house of one woman, Maqsooda Begum and asked the militants present to surrender. The militants, however, turned down the surrender offer and fired automatic weapons at the soldiers, who took defensive positions and returned the fire. The firefight between the Indian policemen lasted for more than four hours, during which the top Jaish commander, identified as Saifullah Kari of Pakistan was killed.
Sources said that an officer of Delhi police and a militant, who is said to be a Pakistani national were injured in the shoot-out. The injured militant, who is said to be a close associate of the slain militant commander, was arrested and both he and the injured soldier were taken to hospital for treatment.
Police sources said that four persons including the female house owner, her brother and the injured militant were arrested after the shoot-out. The arrested persons are being interrogated.
It was July 5 2005, when five armed militants and an unidentified person died when militants made a bid to storm the high-security makeshift leading Hindu temple in Ayodhya in India.
Although no militant group claimed the responsibility for the attack on the Hindu religious site, Indian police and security agencies blamed Pakistan based militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammad for the attack. They claimed the attack was masterminded by top Jaish commander, Saifullah Kari and were searching for him for two years.
Jaish-e-Mohammed is one of several militant groups active in Kashmir and fighting against the Indian army.