Six militants were killed in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district in an encounter with security forces on Saturday, in which a commando of the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Garud Force was also killed.

The Garud Commando Force is the special forces unit of the IAF.

Among the six foreign militants killed was Owaid, the nephew of LeT operation commander Lakhvi, the mastermind of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. He is also on the most wanted list of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Two other foreign militants, including LeT commanders Zargam and Mehmood, are also among the militants killed on Saturday, police said.

“One soldier has also sustained injuries in the operation,” Defence Ministry Spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said.

As the cordon around the hiding militants was tightened, they fired at the security forces, triggering a gunbattle in which one soldier of the Indian Air Force’s Garud Commandos was killed, while six terrorists were also neutralised, officials said.

The operation has now ended, police said.

On Friday, a sub-inspector of police was also killed and a constable injured in the shootout by terrorists in the Zakura area of Srinagar.

People defy restrictions

Earlier on Saturday, large number of people defied curfew-like restrictions, imposed by the authorities, to attend the funeral of slain militant Mugees Ahmad Mir.

Authorities had imposed curfew in parts of Srinagar on Saturday as a precautionary measure following killing of an Al-Qaeda terrorist Mugees Mir in a shootout with the police on Friday evening. However, people from different parts of the city reached Parimpora area where the slain militant’s funeral was held.

Mir is the first militant of the Al-Qaeda to be killed by security forces in Kashmir. The outfit is led by the radical Zakir Musa.

Two other terrorists travelling in a car with Mir had escaped from the spot after firing at the police. Mir was killed on the spot.

Separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was put under house arrest while Yasin Malik was lodged in the central jail as a precautionary measure to prevent them from instigating people on the killing of Mir.

All education institutions were shut down and train services suspended in the valley. Security forces were deployed in strength to thwart and untoward incident and the restrictions were implemented strictly.

(With agency inputs)