Top LeT commander behind J&K attacks shot dead in Pak

Abu Qatal alias Qatal Sindhi, a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander and close aide of Hafiz Saeed, who orchestrated attacks on civilians and security forces in Jammu region for past couple of years, was killed by unidentified shooters on Saturday night in Jhelum district of Pakistan's Punjab province, according to two highly placed officials in Indian intelligence establishment.

- HT Correspondent

NEW DELHI:

Wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Qatal was active since 2002-03 and was key to LeT's operations in J&K for past couple of years. His death comes as a relief for the Indian forces.

Information gathered by Indian agencies suggests that Qatal, 43, was shot dead by unknown attackers around 7 pm on Saturday when he was travelling along with his security guards in Jhelum area.

As somebody very close to Hafiz Saeed, Qatal, officials said, oversaw the guerilla type attacks—where highly trained well-equipped foreign terrorists launched, then hid in jungles of Pir Panjal area before regrouping, instead of taking on security forces.