In a major security development, the Jammu and Kashmir Police in a joint operation with the Indian Army neutralized three terrorists including a most-wanted Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist in an encounter in Mahwah area of Baramulla on Thursday.
In the operation, LeT terrorist Yousuf Kantroo, who was on the list of top 10 most wanted terrorists was neutralized. Acting on a specific input, a special team of Budgam Police along with the Army launched a joint cordon and 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. The fire was effectively retaliated leading to an encounter, said JK Police.
Later on, Baramulla Police headed by SSP Baramulla also joined in the operation. One policeman from the Baramulla district also got injured in the encounter and was later on shifted to 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 the longest surviving terrorists, were killed.
According to JK Police, terrorist Yousuf Kantroo earlier joined as an overground worker of the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) outfit and was arrested in the year 2005. Later on, he was released in the year 2008 but he again joined terrorist rank in the year 2017 and started killing innocent civilians, policemen, and political workers. Later on, he switched from HM to LeT terror outfit. However, the identification of the other killed terrorist is being ascertained.
As per police records, the killed terrorists were categorized terrorists and part of groups involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on Police and security forces and civilian atrocities.
Incriminating materials, arms, and ammunition were recovered from the site of the encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation. Three more terrorists are still inside the cordon and the operation is underway.
(With ANI Inputs)
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