Top LeT commander among 2 terrorists killed in Kashmir encounter (Roundup)

Srinagar, April 21 (IANS) The J&K police along with the army achieved a major success on Thursday by neutralising two terrorists, including a dreaded militant of proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Yousuf Kantroo, who was in the list of top 10 most wanted terrorists, in an encounter at Malwah area in north Kashmir's Baramulla district, officials said.The police said that acting on specific information generated by Budgam police, a special team along with the army launched a joint cordon and search operation in Malwah."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," the police said.Later, Baramulla police headed by the SSP also joined in the operation. One policeman from Baramulla district also got injured in the encounter, who was later shifted to the army's base hospital in Srinagar.The police said in the ensuing encounter, two terrorists of LeT, including Kantroo, one of longest surviving terrorists, were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of the encounter."Kantroo had earlier joined the Hizbul Mujahideen as an over ground worker and was arrested in 2005. He was released in 2008, but he again joined terrorist ranks in 2017 and got involved in the killing of innocent civilians, policemen and political workers. Later he switched from Hizbul to LeT. The identity of the other slain terrorist is yet to be ascertained," the police said."Kantroo was involved in dozens of civilian atrocities, besides being involved in the killing of several security personnel," the police said.He was also involved in recruiting innocent/gullible youth into terror folds.Meanwhile, commenting on a viral video in which the mother of a trapped terrorist could be heard saying "come back my son, you are too young and innocent, these cruel terrorists have deceived you", IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar appealed to the parents of other terrorists to urge their wards to shun the path of violence. Incriminating materials, including arms and ammunition, were recovered from the site of the encounter.
--IANS zi/arm

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