BIG: Top Lashkar Commander Altaf Lalli Killed In Bandipora Encounter, Sources

In a major breakthrough for security forces, top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Altaf Lalli was killed during an encounter in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district early Friday morning.

According to officials, the gunfight broke out when a joint team of the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police launched a cordon-and-search operation in the area based on specific intelligence inputs. As the forces zeroed in on the suspected location, they came under heavy fire, prompting a retaliatory response.

Altaf Lalli, a prominent face of LeT’s local network, was involved in multiple attacks targeting security personnel and civilians. His presence in Bandipora was being tracked for several weeks, officials said.

The operation is being seen as a significant blow to the Lashkar network in the region, especially following the recent terror strike in Pahalgam that claimed multiple lives. The forces have intensified anti-terror operations across the Valley in the aftermath.