Top LeT commander Yousuf Kantroo among 2 militants killed in Baramulla: Police

A top commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit and one other militant were killed in an encounter in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the police said.

The operation is still underway as three more militants are said to be trapped in the security cordon, media reports 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 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.