LeT commander among two militants killed in Baramulla gunfight

BARAMULLA — Another Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant was killed while four soldiers and a policeman were injured in an encounter in Malwah area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Thursday, taking the toll of slain militants to two.

The officials told the news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the search operation turned into an encounter shortly after the militants started firing toward the positions of the search party of security forces, which was retaliated.

“One more Lashkar-e-Taiba militant has been killed in an ongoing operation which is being carried out without any collateral damage by security forces,” the officials said, adding that four soldiers and a policeman were injured and have been shifted to a hospital.

Earlier, police said that Yousuf Kantroo, a top LeT commander who was on the hit list of security forces, was killed.

Police 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.

“Kantroo had killed BDC Chairman Late Sardar Bhupinder Singh on 23/09/2020 in his native place in Khag area. Case FIR No. 79/20 was registered against terrorist Kantroo in PS Khag,” said IGP Kashmir.

Meanwhile, officials said that the operation in the area is still underway as a few more militants are said to be trapped in the security cordon.