Top Lashkar commander Junaid Mattoo killed in encounter
Top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Junaid Mattoo was killed in an encounter with security forces in Kashmir's Kulgam on Friday. The terrorist was reportedly responsible for two attacks in which four policemen were killed, and carried a bounty of ?10 lakh on his head. His accomplice Muzamil was also killed in the encounter while another militant was arrested. 
Top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Junaid Mattoo and his accomplice Muzamil are said to have been killed in an encounter with security forces in in Arwani village of Bijbihara in Anantnag District of south Kashmir. Today morning, Mattoo was trapped for more than eight hours with two other local Lashkar militants in a joint operation conducted by Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF to nab the terrorists. One militant has been apprehended by the security forces. A joint team of Army, J-K police and CRPF cordoned off Arwani village on specific input about presence of Lashkar militants in the area today morning. As the cordon was being laid some youth assembled near the area and started pelting stones on security forces which resulted in clashes.Junaid Mattoo was involved in a day light attack on a police van in which three policemen including an officer was killed last year. Mattoo's involvement is also suspected in the killing of a policeman in Kulgam area of South Kashmir on Thursday afternoon.RS 10 LAKH BOUNTY Mattoo was believed to be active for the past two years and carried a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head.Intelligence sources said that search operation is still ongoing but have been hampered by stone-pelters who are targeting the security forces from different sides.Police said that Junaid Mattoo is the third top militant who has been killed after Burhan Wani since last year. Buran Wani's close aid Sabzar Ahmad Bhat was the second militant who was killed in an encounter on May 27 last month.According to intelligence information, Mattoo had joined militancy at the age of 18. He was put in the list of 12 most wanted militants in the Valley right now by the Army. Earlier on Thursday, two policemen were killed in two separate attacks by militants in the Kashmir Valley. Militants attacked a police party in the Hyderpora area of the city, at around 9.30 pm, by firing indiscriminately at a patrol party.Two cops were injured in the attack and were rushed to 92 Base Hospital of the Army. One of them, constable Shehzad, succumbed to his injuries. In another incident, militants shot dead a policeman in south Kashmir's Kulgam district.Constable Shabir Ahmad was shot outside his residence at Bogund in Kulgam. The cop was rushed to a local hospital but he did not survive.Also read:Kashmir: Youth killed as security forces opened fire during stone pelting Kashmir: Policeman shot dead by militants in Kulgam 