India claims killing of military base attack mastermind in IoK gunfight

Defence spokesperson says the operational commander of JeM Mufti Waqas was shot dead in the operation

India claimed on Monday to have killed the mastermind behind the attack in Sunjuwan area of occupied Kashmir last month.

At least 10 people, including six Indian soldiers, were killed when militants stormed an army base in Sunjuwan in the Indian occupied Kashmir.

The operational commander of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) Mufti Waqas was shot dead in a joint operation of the Indian army, police and central reserve force, India Today reported quoting Srinagar based defence spokesperson Col Rajesh Kalia.

The forces launched an operation on a tip off that a terrorist was present in Awantipur in the held valley.

According to Kalia, a gunfight subsequently broke out during which the militant was killed.



The colonel went on to add that an AK-47 rifle was recovered from the alleged militant's possession.

Kalia also claimed that there were no civilian casualties or "collateral damage" during the gunfight

The report termed the death of the militant a major setback for the organisation as it said that his predecessor Noor Mohammed Tantrey was killed in December last year.

Soon after the military base attack, some Indian officials started pointing fingers at Pakistan, with claims that the attackers were from Pakistan who sneaked through the highly-militarised de facto border last year.

But Pakistan strongly rejected the insinuation.

Meanwhile, Indian authorities shut schools and suspended internet services across swathes of held Kashmir after soldiers killed at least six people including four alleged civilians in the restive region, AFP reported.