Baramulla: LeT commander Yousuf Kantroo among three militants have been Killed on Thursday in an 18 hour long encounter (military operation) which is still underway at Malwah area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district while four Army Men, a cop and a civilain sustained injures.
Police has ascertained the identity of the other two militants, however, a video from the encounter site went viral on Social Media, in which mother of a trapped (militant) was mourning and calling his son back.
"Come back my son, you are too young and innocent, These goons deceived you," she was heard saying as per the video.
Faisal’s Family (Photo by Junaid Bhat)
As per sources, the another militant was 17 year old Faisal Hafeez Dar, resident of Aaripanth Magam who went missing on 14th March 2022.
Reportedly, the 17-year-old’s family had made several appeals asking him to come back since then.
The encounter started around 4:am on Thursday morning, at 11:04 am, police tweeted that LeT commander yousuf tantary was killed, at 1:46 pm, it said second ‘militant’ was neutralized and around 9:30 pm, police said the third militant has been killed and the operation is still on in the area.
Meanwhile, police provided a detailed list of the wanted LeT Commander Kantroo, accused in the following cases.
He was the longest surviving militant. Kantroo earlier joined as an OGW of HM (Hizb-ul-Mujahideen) outfit and was arrested in the year 2005, Police said in a statement to The Himalayan Post.
Later on, he was released in 2008 but joined Militancy again in 2017 and started killing innocent civilians, policemen and political workers,” the statement reads.
“Later, he switched from HM to LeT outfit. He had killed dozens of civilians & security forces across North and central Kashmir including SPO Mohammad Ishfaq Dar and his brother Umer Ahmad Dar, residents of central Kashmir’s Chatabugh Budgam on March 26 of this year," it said.
"Moreover, he had killed BDC Chairman Late Sardar Bhupinder Singh on 23 September 2020 at his residence in Khag, NC (national Conference’s) Block president at Natipora Chanapora Srinagar, Tajamul Mohidin Dar of Guttapora Budgam on 21 March 2022, Gulzar Ahmad, resident of Lawaypora at Narbal, Tanveer Zargar of Chewa at Narbal, Nazir Ahmad Dar (an employee of Health department) in Warihama and Sarpanch Manzoor Ahmad, resident of Pattan," the statement said.
"He was also involved in grenade throwing incidents, abduction and killing of police and SF personnel including killing of CRPF personnel HC Riyaz Ahmad Rather of Nawgam Anantnag at Kanihama by lobbing Grenade on deployment on 23 December 2017, abduction and killing of constable Mohammad Ashraf Rather alias Ishfaq of Archanderhama Magam, abduction and killing of Army Personnel Mohammad Sameer Malla of Lokipora Khag on 7 March this year, killing of SPO Mohammad Altaf during an encounter at Peth-Zanigam, killing of one Ex-SPO Naseer Ahmad Khan of Buchipora Kawoosa Khalisa," the statement added.
He had snatched 4 AK rifles from the residence of Legislature Muzafar Parray at J-13 Jawahar Nagar Rajbagh in Srinagar, police said in the statement.
"On the directions of Abrar Nadeem (now neutralized) he carried out an attack on CRPF at Lawaypora Srinagar in which 3 CRPF personnel were killed on 25 March 2021," it explained.
In addition to this, Kantroo was also involved in recruiting innocent and youth into militant folds including recruitment of Faisal Hafeez Dar, resident of Aaripanth Magam, the statement concluded.
