Three security personnel and three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants, including a wanted commander’, were killed in a day-long gunfight in north Kashmir’s Baramulla on Monday.
The gun battle started when the three militants appeared from an orchard and opened indiscriminate fire on a joint checkpoint of the CRPF and the police at Tindim village of Kreeri in Baramulla district around 9:15 a.m., leaving three security personnel injured.
“Two CRPF jawans and a Special Police Officer (SPO) were killed [in the firing]. Just minutes after the attack, a Special Operations Group (SOG) of the police engaged these militants. One injured managed to go inside the orchards, while another militant started firing from a tree. He was killed first and subsequently the injured militant was killed”, Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh said in Srinagar.
The third militant was killed late in the afternoon as security forces intensified the combing operation in the orchard. “A total of three militants were killed and the operation has been on since the morning”, he added.
An Army soldier was also injured during the gunfight with the third militant and was shifted to a hospital in Srinagar “in a critical condition”.
The three deceased security personnel were identified as SPO Muzaffar Ali and constables Lokesh Sharma and Khursheed Khan of the CRPF’s 119 Battalion.
The police identified the militants as ‘commander’ Sajad Ahmad Mir alias Haider and Anayatullah Mir (both from Baramulla) and Usman from Pakistan. The police said Haider was LeT’s chief for north Kashmir and was behind the killing of BJP leader Waseem Bari and his family members.
Recruiter
“Haider was one of the top most wanted commanders in J&K. Like slain Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani, Haider too would lure youth into militancy. At least 20 youth who were recruited by him were arrested recently”, Mr. Singh said.
The police said Haider was also behind a series of audio messages released online to threaten political workers. “Haider had started working like slain Hizb ‘commander’ Reyaz Naikoo and would release video messages to lure youth and to issue fresh threats to political workers and forces. His killing is a big success,” Mr. Singh noted.
Slain Mir was a recent recruit. He joined the militant ranks in March last.
