Srinagar, Jul 22: The suspected mastermind behind the Lal Chowk suicide attack along with along militant was killed in an encounter on Wednesday, Jul 21 in North Kashmir's Sopore.

Security forces and the ultras exchanged fire for nearly 20 hours before the top Harkat-ul-Mujahideen militant and another ultra were killed. The gunbattle also left a soldier dead.

Troops of 52 Rashtriya Rifles and police laid a siege to Haigam-Sopore area after two militants of HuM opened fire from a house killing army jawan Sanjay Kumar of the Rashtriya Rifles.

The house of a government employee was also destroyed in the encounter, an official spokesperson informed, adding that the slain self-styled divisional commander has been identified as Nouman, a Pakistani national.

He is believed to be the man behind the Lal Chowk attack in Jan 2010. The first terror attack on India in the year of 2010 began on Jan 6 and ended on Jan 7.

Read all about the Lal Chowk Attack

The 22-hour long strike began when four terrorists attacked a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) picket in Lal Chowk, at the heart of Srinagar. Two of the terrorists were killed in the encounter that followed.

OneIndia News