New Delhi: A top commander of Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit was killed in an encounter with a joint team of Special Task Force (STF) and Noida Police in Noida, adjoining Delhi, in the wee hour of March 12.

Manjoor Dar alias Sirajudin Khan, JeM area commander of Baramulla district in Kashmir, was killed at around 2:30 am (IST) in Sector 34 of the satellite town of Uttar Pradesh, superintendent of police (SP) Noida Vijaya Bhushan Singh said.

An AK-47 rifle, its two magazines, two hand grenades and a large quantity of ammunition were recovered from him.

Dar was travelling on a motorcycle from Delhi to Muradabad in Uttar Pradesh, when he was intercepted following a specific information, Singh said.

Dar, who hailed from Sakkar in Sindh province of Pakistan, was planning an attack in Delhi or Mumbai, STF senior SP Rajiv Ranjan Verma, who led the operation, said.

Dar had come to Delhi in September 2002 and had carried out recce of Parliament House, India Gate and some other crowded places, Verma said.

Later, he went to Mumbai where he conducted recce of Mumbai Stock Exchange and other crowded place with an intention of carrying out an attack, he added.

Verma said they had arrested two of his associates in Muzaffarnagar, from whom police got information about Dar and later laid a trap in Noida.

Police is looking for some more of his associates, he added.

PTI