Srinagar, Rabi'I 30, 1433, Feb 22, 2012, SPA - Security forces shot dead a high-ranking commander of a separatist group in Kashmir, police said Wednesday. The clash began after troops surrounded a house in the town of Sopore, 50 kilometres north-west of state capital Srinagar late Tuesday following a tip-off, according to a report of DPA. "Abu Badar, one of the most senior commanders of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in the Kashmir valley, was killed in the gun battle," Sopore police chief Syed Imtiaz Hussain told reporters. A soldier was also injured. --SPA 14:48 LOCAL TIME 11:48 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/972777