Top LeT Commander Yousuf Kantroo, associate killed in Baramulla encounter: Police
Baramulla: A top commander of the banned outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and one other militant were killed in an encounter in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the police said.
The operation ended with the killing of two militants, police said.
Vijay Kumar, inspector general of police, Kashmir, said that the militant killed in the Baramulla encounter has been identified as Yousuf Kantroo, a top LeT commander who was on the hit list of security forces. Kumar said that Kantroo was involved in several killings of civilians and security forces personnel including the recent killing of an SPO and his brother, one soldier and a civilian in the Budgam district.
Officials said that an operation was launched in the Malwah village bordering Budgam and Baramulla last night after receiving inputs from the Budgam police. Budgam Police and the local army unit conducted the operation and the firing continued intermittently during the night.
In the initial exchange of fire, three soldiers and a civilian received minor injuries, police said.
The slain militant Yousuf Kantroo was a resident of Check Kawosa village of Central Kashmir’s Budgam. As per police, he was active in militant ranks for over two decades.
Kantroo had been arrested in past but recycled twice after his release from jail. He carried out multiple attacks on security establishments in Budgam and other parts of Valley and was a category A+ militant.
Police also held him responsible for the killing of BDC Chairman Bhupinder Singh in Khag area of Budgam in 2020.
A police official said that Kantroo was actively involved in militant activities since 2017. (KNT)
