Srinagar: The two-day long Baramulla encounter ended on Friday evening after recovery of three bodies of Lashkar-e-Toiba militants, police said.
The encounter broke out in the Malwah Kunzer area of Baramulla on Thursday morning after Budgam, Baramulla Police and 62 RR cordoned off the area to trace the militants.
Five security forces personnel have received minor injuries during the gunfight. The killed militants were identified by police as LeT commander Yousuf Kantroo, Hilal Ahmad Sheik and Faisal Dar.
“BaramullaEncounterUpdate: Only 3 dead bodies of terrorists recovered from the encounter site. Identified as Yusuf Dar @ Kantru, Hilal Sheikh @ Hanzalla & Faisal Dar, all affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeT. Arms & ammunition recovered. Operation over. @JmuKmrPolice,” Kashmir Zone Police, Tweeted Friday evening.
IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said in the Baramulla encounter, LeT commander Yousuf Kantroo was killed and he was involved in various terror related incidents. He termed it a big success.
“Top LeT terrorist Commander Yousuf Kantroo killed in Baramulla encounter. He was involved in several killings of civilians & SFs personnel including recent killing of JKP’s SPO & his brother, one Soldier and one civilian in #Budgam district. A big success for us: IGP Kashmir,” Kumar was quoted as saying by police in a tweet on Thursday.
Police had said acting on specific information generated by Budgam police, a special team of Budgam Police alongwith Army ( 62 RR) launched a joint cordon & search operation in Malwah area of Baramulla.
“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,” police had said.
“The fire was effectively retaliated, leading to an encounter. Later on Baramulla police headed by SSP Baramulla also joined in the operation. One policeman from Baramulla district also got injured in the encounter who was later on shifted to Army’s base hospital in Srinagar.”