Arrested and released thrice, LeT terrorist who targeted Pandits in J&K finally killed

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Rather
had
become
a
headache
in
the
Valley
and
was
responsible
for
scores
of
incidents
in
which
both
the
security
personnel
and
civilians
were
targeted.

New
Delhi,
Aug
11:
Three
Lashkar-e-Tayiba
terrorists,
including
Lateef
Ahmad
Rather
involved
in
the
killing
of
several
civilians,
were
gunned
down
by
the
security
forces
in
an
encounter
at
Budgam,
Jammu
and
Kashmir.

Rather
was
involved
in
the
killing
of
Rahul
Bhat
and
TV
actor
Amreen
Bhat.
Rather,
a
resident
of
Badipora
Chadoora,
had
joined
the
terror
ranks
in
2000
and
had
been
active
since
then.
Besides
targeting
security
forces,
he
had
in
particular
targeted
Kashmiri
Pandits
in
the
Valley.

He
was
wanted
for
several
acts
of
terror
that
including
targeted
killing,
random
firing
on
the
forces
among
others.
Rather
had
been
arrested
in
2001,
but
was
released
after
two
years.
He,
however,
went
back
to
the
terror
ranks
and
continued
with
his
crimes.

The
Resistence
Front
gets
another
name
as
systematic
targeting
of
Kashmiri
Pandits
continue

Among
his
other
crimes
was
also
a
plot
to
carry
out
an
attack
at
the
Silver
Star
Hotel
at
the
Nougat
bypass.
He
and
his
associates
finally
carried
out
the
attack
in
which
two
civilians
were
killed.

On
November
30,
2012
he
was
once
again
arrested
and
then
released.
He
again
hatched
a
conspiracy
to
kill
Station
House
Officer
Chadora
Shakir
in
2013.
He
was
once
again
arrested
and
released
in
2021.
A
month
later,
he
joined
The
Resistence
Front
which
is
part
of
the
Lashkar-e-Tayiba
indulging
in
targeted
killing
of
civilians.

In
the
year
2022,
he
had
been
very
active.
In
March
this
year
he
was
involved
in
an
encounter
with
the
security
forces.
While
he
managed
to
escape,
one
police
personnel
Amir
Hussain
was
killed.

In
April
he
and
his
associated
killed
a
constable
Ghulam
Hassan
Dar.
In
May
he
killed
a
government
employee
Rahul
Bhat
at
the
Tehsil
office
in
Chadoora.
The
same
month
he
and
his
associates
fired
at
a
police
personnel
Saifullah
Qadri.
In
the
attack
the
police
personnel
and
his
nine-year-old
daughter
were
injured.
Qadri,
however,
succumbed
to
his
injuries.

Rahul
Bhat
killing:
350
Kashmiri
Pandit
govt
employees
resign

In
May,
he
carried
out
another
audacious
attack
in
which
he
and
associates
fired
upon
Amreen
at
her
home.
She
succumbed
to
her
injuries.

The
killing
of
Rather
comes
as
a
major
success
for
the
security
forces.
He
had
become
a
headache
in
the
Valley
and
was
responsible
for
scores
of
incidents
in
which
both
the
security
personnel
and
civilians
were
targeted.
An
official
tells
OneIndia
that
his
death
is
a
major
blow
for
the
Lashkar-e-Tayiba
and
its
operations
in
Jammu
and
Kashmir.