In a big success, Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday eliminated three Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists including a self-styled commander of the outfit Lateef Rather alias Abdullah.

According to police, three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, including Lateef Rather, who was involved in the killing of Kashmiri Pandit government employee Rahul Bhat in May 2022, were killed in the ongoing encounter in Budgam. According to police, Lateef Rather was also involved in the gruesome killing of famous female Kashmiri singer and actor Amreen Bhat.

"Budgam Encounter Update: Terrorist Lateef Rather alias Abdullah, killer of Rahul Bhat and Amreen Bhat among the three killed terrorists. He was involved in several terror crime cases including several civilian killings and atrocities", Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar said.

Terrorist
IANS

Trio was trapped in an encounter since morning

As reported earlier an encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in the Waterhail area of Budgam district.

Three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, including Lateef Rather, who was involved in the killing of Kashmiri pandit government employee Rahul Bhat in May 2022, were trapped in the encounter.

The encounter was started after a joint team of security forces including J&K Police, the Army, and CRPF launched a search operation in the area after getting inputs about the presence of some terrorists in the area.

Additional forces were deployed when information was received about the presence of dreaded LeT terrorist Lateef Rather alias Abdullah in the area.

ADGP (Kashmir Zone) Vijay Kumar said the three LeT terrorists, including Rather were trapped in the Budgam encounter.

"Three terrorists of terror outfit LeT(TRF) including terrorist Lateef Rather trapped in the ongoing encounter. Terrorist Lateef is involved in several civilian killings including Rahul Bhat & Amreen Bhat (sic)," Kumar tweeted.

ambreen bhat
social media

Lateef issued an order to kill famous TV artist Amreen Bhat

Famous TV artist and noted Kashmiri singer Amreen Bhat was gruesomely killed by terrorists on May 25 in the direction of Lateef Rather.

After eliminating two terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit who were involved in the gruesome killing of Amreen Bhat, Police revealed that the self-styled commander of the LeT outfit Lateef has directed two newly recruited terrorists to kill Ambreen Bhat.

Four terrorists, including the duo involved in committing heinous the crime of killing the female artist, were eliminated in two different encounters in May. Today Lateef Rather was also neutralized by the security forces.

According to police, two newly recruited terrorists namely Shahid Mushtaq Bhat R/O Hafroo Chadoora, Budgam, and Farhan Habib R/O Hakripora Pulwama were involved in the killing of Ambreen Bhat. They killed the female artist under the direction of LeT commander Lateef.

Rahul Bhat
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Rahul Bhat was killed by terrorists on May 12

A group of terrorists on May 12 killed Kashmir Pandit employee Rahul Bhat in Budgam district.
Rahul Bhat was working in the office of Tehsildar Chadoora in central Kashmir's Budgam district.

According to a report, terrorists fired upon a Kashmir migrant employee identified as Rahul Bhat, an employee in the local tehsil office, at Chadoora on May 12. He was immediately shifted to Sub District Hospital Chadoora wherefrom he was shifted to SMHS hospital here for specialized treatment. The employee later succumbed to his injuries.

Appointed under Prime Minister's Special Employment Package for Kashmiri migrants, Rahul Bhat was posted in Tehsildar Officer Budgam and was transferred to Chadoora.

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