Top Lashkar commander Yousuf Kantroo killed in Baramulla

Police said that Kantroo was also behind the killing of District Development Council (DDC) chairperson Bhupinder Singh. Singh was killed in Khag area of Budgam two years ago. Police termed Kantroo’s killing as a “big success” for the security establishment.

Early on Thursday, a joint team of J&K Police and the Army cordoned off Malwah village, bordering Baramulla and Budgam districts, after inputs about the presence of militants. As the joint team was cordoning off the area, militants in the village opened indiscriminate fire and tried to break the security cordon. In the initial burst of gunfire, three soldiers were injured. In the subsequent gunfight, a soldier and a policeman were injured. The injured policeman and the soldiers have been hospitalised.

Kantroo first joined militancy in 2000. Though he was arrested twice, he returned to militancy after his release from jail. He was active since 2017 and was among the most wanted militant commanders in central Kashmir. Police sources said that Kantroo normally operated in central Kashmir’s Budgam district and its peripheries in Baramulla and Srinagar districts.

Police are yet to ascertain the identity of the second militant killed as the military operation is still on.