Srinagar, Dec 02: Secuirty Forces gunned down three top Lashkar-e-Taiba militants, including a Pakistani national, in an encounter at Hajan village Budgam district today morning and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition from them, a BSF spokesman said. Acting on a specific information, BSF troops along with an intelligence team and local police cordoned a cluster of scattered huts at Hajan and zeroed in on a hideout where the militants were holed up, the spokesman said.

He said the militants opened heavy fire on the security forces resulting in a six-hour long gunbattle at the end of which three LeT militants, including a self-styled district commander of the outfit, were killed.

The slain militants, who had carried out several attacks on security forces in Budgam district, have been identified as Siraj Khan alias Sajjad, a resident of Gujranwala in Pakistan, Bashi Ahmad Ahanger alias Gazi and district commander Mohammad Akbar Bhat, the spokesman said.
Siraj was part of a fidayeen squad that was to target sensational attacks in Srinagar. Bashir and Akbar were both 'B' category militants and carried a reward of Rs one lakh each on their heads. Bureau Report