Most wanted LeT man among 2 militants killed in ongoing Kashmir gun battle

Srinagar, April 21 (UNI) In a major operation, security forces on Thursday killed topmost militant of Lashkar-e-Toiba, Yousuf Kantroo, in a gun battle in Kashmir, along with his aide.
Four Armymen, including an officer and a policeman were wounded during the gun battle, which was still underway at Malwah village of Baramulla in north Kashmir.
Police said militant commander Kantroo, who was amongst the list of top 10 most wanted militants, was involved in a series of killings, including that of a Block Development Council Chairman, a Kashmiri soldier, a Special Police Officer and his brother in Budgam district.
“His elimination is a big success as he was involved in several killings, including very recent killing of police personnel & his brother, one civilian and one soldier in Budgam,” Inspector General of Police Kashmir Vijay Kumar said.
Giving details about the operation, police said an operation was launched by the police and Army, following specific information generated by Budgam police.
“During the search operation as the joint search party reached the suspected spot, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately upon them in which four soldiers, including one officer, received minor injuries. The fire was effectively retaliated leading to an encounter,” a police spokesman said.
Later, one policeman from Baramulla district also got injured in the encounter, who was later on shifted to the Army’s base hospital in Srinagar.
“In the ensuing encounter so far, two terrorists of proscribed terror outfit LeT, including a dreaded terrorist commander Yousuf Kantroo, one of longest surviving terrorist, were killed,” he said. The identity of the other slain is being established.
Police said three more militants were still inside the cordon and the exchange of fire was going on.
Police said Kantroo was the longest surviving militant in Kashmir. He had joined as an Overground Worker of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit and was arrested in the year 2005. Later on, he was released in the year 2008 but he again joined ranks in the year 2017.
“ Soon he started killing innocent civilians, policemen and political workers. Later on he switched from HM to LeT terror outfit,” the spokesman said.
During the operation, repeated efforts were made by security forces to ensure surrender of other holed up militants.
In fact, a video went viral on social media, in which mother of a teenage trapped militant appealed his son to come back as he was too young and innocent. She also accused the militants of misguiding teenagers.