Top men from JeM, LeT were among the 50 terrorists killed since this year.

Fifty terrorists, including several top commanders of Jaish-e-Mohmmad (JeM) and Lashker-e-Tioba (LeT), were killed in counter terrorism operations by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir this year so far, officials said on Friday.

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Seventeen security forces personnel lost their lives while fighting the terrorists in the union territory, they said.

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The militants also killed nine civilians in the last four months, the officials said.

Giving details, a senior official told PTI that the slain terrorists included top commanders of JeM, LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen.

He said of the 50 terrorists killed so far this year, 18 were eliminated during the ongoing lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Four terrorists, including district commander of LeT Muzaffar Ahmed Bhat, were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Dialgam area of Anantnag district in south Kashmir on March 15, the official said, adding they belonged to LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen outfits

On January 25, three terrorists, including JeM self-styled Kashmir chief Qari Yasir, were killed while three soldiers were injured in an encounter between security forces and ultras in the Tral area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, he said.

On January 23, another top militant commander Abu Saifullah alias Abu Qasim, an associate of Yasir, was killed in the Khrew area of Pulwama district, the official said.

On April 9, top Jaish-e-Mohammed commander Sajad Nawab Dar was killed by security forces in Sopore in Baramulla district in north Kashmir, he said.

A top Hizbul Mujahideen ‘commander’ Haroon Wani was killed in a fierce encounter with the security forces in the Gundana area of Doda in Jammu and Kashmir on January 15, he said.

Giving further details, the officer said 18 terrorists were killed during the lockdown in the union territory since March 14.

As many as nine civilians were killed by the terrorists during this year, he said.

Besides, seventeen security force personnel were killed during the same period, which includes 13 security personnel, three Special Police officers (SPOs) and one policeman, he added.

As many as 160 terrorists were killed and 102 arrested in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, Director General of Police Dilbag Singh had said earlier.