Lashkar commander, one of J&K’s most wanted, killed by undercover cops

For years he was Jammu and Kashmir’s one of the most wanted terrorists. On Monday, he was killed in a swift operation  in Srinagar. Abbas Sheikh, a top commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, was shot dead, along with an associate, by 10 undercover cops in the Aloochi Bagh area of Srinagar. Sheikh was on police’s  list of 10 most wanted commanders.

“Abbas Sheikh was the self-styled chief of The Resistance Front. As we received specific input, ten jawans of the Srinagar police, in civilian dress, laid cordon. They were challenged and in the ensuing firing both the terrorists were killed,” Kashmir Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar told local media. The Resistance Front is a shadow outfit of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, officials said.

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Sheikh is a big catch for the police as not only was he involved in several killings, he also was motivating youth to join terror ranks, the police said.

The operation

In true filmy style, cops in civilian dress cordoned off the area where Abbas was believed to be holed up. They hung around for a while ensuring that the tip off about his presence was correct. Once confirmed, they swooped in and took them by surprise, officials said. Caught by surprise, the terrorists did not get a chance to retaliate and were gunned down.

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The police had been tracking Sheikh, who had been active for a long time, but he had somehow remained elusive. After the operation, the police said that it was a “major success” as the duo had “unleashed terror” in the region. 

Who was Abbas Sheikh?

Sheikh was a student of a postgraduate course when he joined the ranks of the terrorists. The 46-year-old was one of the longest surviving terrorists, the police said. He started off with the Hizbul Mujahideen and then moved to Lashkar and eventually to TRF two years ago.