Top-ranking LeT terrorist, responsible for attack on fruit trader's family in Sopore, killed in encounter with security forces

A top-ranking Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist, responsible for an recent attack on 7 September on a fruit seller's family that left a two-and-a-half-year-old girl critically injured, was killed in a gun battle by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore.The encounter broke out when security forces, acting on specific information, launched a search and cordon operation in the town to flush out the hiding terrorist."He (Asif) was challenged to stop but he didn't. He threw a grenade at our parties in which two of our police personnel were injured. They are out of danger," Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Dilbag Singh told reporters.Bhatt had sparked terror in Sopore, by printing posters threatening civilians, he added. "Over the last one month he was very active. He made use of overground workers to print posters threatening civilians to not open shops shops and not go for their day-to-day activities," he added.After the Sopore attack, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had ordered that the toddler be airlifted to AIIMS in New Delhi for better medical treatment.According to ANI, the attack was an attempt by Pakistan-backed terrorists to prevent the return of normalcy in the Valley by intimidating the locals.The neutralised terrorist was also responsible for shooting at migrant labourer Shafi Alam in the same area.With inputs from agencies