Two ML leaders picked up as Police smell a rat in SI Altaf's killing in 'mysterious encounter'

○ LeT claims it was a well-planned strike executed by only 2 militants 

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

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SRINAGAR, Oct 9: Jammu and Kashmir Police have initiated an inquiry into the assassination of the top counterterrorist operative Altaf Ahmad Dar who died in a dramatic encounter in Bandipore on October 7th.

Well placed sources disclosed to STATE TIMES that a team of officials had been constituted to find whether Altaf's killing was the result of a chance encounter or a planned target killing by militants. As only one specific target has been hit and eliminated with a burst of AK-47 and none else has been injured, Police are investigating if there was involvement of any insider and if the militants had laid a counter-trap with full knowledge of Altaf's undercover operation.

Also being investigated is why Altaf and several others of the Police party were unarmed and the operation had been launched without the association of well-equipped quick reaction commandos.

Two of the separatist Muslim League leaders, namely General Secretary Showkat Hakeem and Merajuddin Manda have been arrested and subjected to sustained interrogation. Both are reportedly residents of Sumbal area of Bandipore district.

Meanwhile, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba on Friday claimed to have killed Altaf Dar in a "well planned operation". In an e-mail to media, including STATE TIMES, LeT chief spokesperson Dr Abdullah Gaznavi said that the organisation's chief Mehmood Shah appreciated Altaf's killing by the militants. "LeT does never spare its enemies. It was a well planned action to eliminate Altaf Dar and was carried out by just two of our militants who both reached back to their hideout safely", LeT chief said in a communication to his cadres.

"Altaf Dar's killing has broken the backbone of the Indian forces and similar actions would continue in future", LeT chief spokesman, quoting the organisation's head, said.

"LeT warns all such officers to dissociate themselves from the occupying forces and do not subscribe to the occupation of the Kashmiris. His death has caused a wave of jubilation in Kashmir and ended a chapter of terror", LeT chief said.

Unprecedented in the history of last 25 years, Jammu and Kashmir on Friday organised Quran Khwani for Altaf at the Jamia Masjid of Srinagar District Police. Senior Police officials including IGP Kashmir Javaid Mujtaba Gilani and DIG Central Kashmir Ghulam Hassan Bhat participated in the Quran Khwani along with other ranks and a group of citizens. 

According to the Police officers who inducted him in a crack counter-insurgent unit in 2006, Altaf Dar's death is as big a shock to the State Police as the "killing of over 100 SPs". They have rated him as number one in the entire counterterrorist grid in the State.

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[Published in today's STATE TIMES]