26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind's nephew among 6 militants killed in Kashmir

Apart from Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi's nephew, two Lashkar-e-Taiba commanders were also among the militants killed by the security forces

Six Pakistani militants of the LeT, including the nephew of Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, were gunned down in north Kashmir's Bandipora district on Saturday in an encounter in which an IAF Garud commando was also killed, officials said.

Apart from Lakhvi's nephew, two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commanders were also among the militants killed by the security forces, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police (DGP), S P Vaid, said.

Security forces launched a search operation in Chandergeer village in Hajin area of the district after receiving specific intelligence input about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.

The search operation resulted in an encounter when the militants hiding there fired on the search party of the security forces, who retaliated.

"Six LeT terrorists have been eliminated in Bandipora encounter," Vaid said.

He said all the six militants killed in the encounter were Pakistanis.

One of the terrorists named Owaid is the son of Zakir Rehman Maki and the nephew of Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, he said on Twitter.

Two LeT commanders -- Zargam and Mehmood -- were also eliminated in the operation on Saturday, the DGP said, adding that the operation was a "success". Six weapons were also recovered from the encounter site.

Srinagar-based Defence Spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said an IAF Garud commando was also killed in the operation.

"An IAF Garud commando was killed, while an army soldier was injured," he said.

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

The anti-militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir have continued in the wake of violence by Pakistan-based militants.

Vaid had recently said around 170 militants were gunned down by the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir this year.

Two Army soldiers were killed and a CRPF jawan suffered injuries in an encounter in Pulwama district of the state on November 2.

Three militants were gunned down in Pulwama in an encounter in which an Army jawan was also killed on November 6.

Three militants, including Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar's nephew, were gunned down by security forces in Pulwama district on November 7.

An Army jawan and a militant were killed in an encounter in Kulgam district on November 14.