Kreeri Baramulla Encounter: 5 army jawans martyred, 3 top terrorists killed

Three Terrorists including 2 top Lashkar-e-Toiba commanders and five security forces personnel were killed in the encounter that started in the orchards at Kreeri area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district yesterday. Police and the army said that the joint operation was on in the Kreeri Baramulla and the operation hasn’t been called off yet.

Two soldiers, who were injured yesterday at Keeri, succumbed to injuries today at army’s 92 base hospital. Third slain militant was identified as Usman of Pakistan, and his body was retrieved today. 2 injured soldiers who had sustained injuries yesterday at Kreeri gunfight, succumbed today at Srinagar. The number of militants killed in the two-day long operation reached three. “Two AK’s and three pistols were recovered from the site of encounter,”

-Defence spokesman in Srinagar Rajesh Kalia told KNO

A police officer said that search operation is still on in the area to rule out presence of any other militant. He said that in total three militants were killed that include top Lashkar commanders—Sajad alias Hader, who was active since past five years and a Pakistani militant Usman who was north Zone commander of Lashkar. The third slain militant as identified as Anayatullah Mir of Pattan area of north Kashmir.

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More About Kreeri Baramulla Encounter

Among three killed terrorists, two are top LeT commanders-Sajad alias Haider and Usman. Haider, the main conspirator in recent Bandipora killings, was instrumental in recruiting youth into terror folds and was involved in attacks on police, civilians and political workers," said J&K Police.

Earlier yesterday, these three slain militants had targeted joint naka part of forces at Kreeri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla killing two CRPF men and a Special Police Officer (SPO). “The total number of security men killed in two-day long operation reached eight including five security personnel and three militants,” a police official said, adding that search operation was on. Pertinently, police had engaged the attackers, soon after they attacked the joint party of forces, which led to the encounter in orchards in Kreeri area.

Director General of Police (J&K) Dilbagh Singh had termed the killing of Haider as a big success for the security forces saying that he was operating on the lines of slain Hizb commander Burhan Wani and had recently started following Hizb’s chief commander Reyaz Naikoo’s footsteps and had released videos issuing threats to political workers and forces. According to Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh Sajad Haider was among the top ten terrorists in the union territory. The DGP said that the LeT commander joined the terror outfit in 2016, and was active like (former Hizbul Mujahideen commander) Burhan Wani. The terrorist was involved in the killing of BJP's former district president Waseem Bari and two of his family members in July this year.

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He was responsible for destroying many families… While obviously the killing of two CRPF jawans and a cop is a huge loss, but the way the police, CRPF and Army did the operation, it is a successful operation in the real sense and I hope that many families will heave a sigh of relief with his killing,” the police official said.

"Sajjad alias Haider was the conspirator and foreign terrorist Usman executed the killings of BJP leader late Waseem Bari, his father and brother. The encounter of these two terrorists is a big achievement for police and security forces," Vijay Kumar, IGP Kashmir said.

Special police officer (SPO) of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Muzaffar Ali of District Police Baramulla, constable Lokesh Sharma and constable Khurshid Khan of 119 Battalion CRPF were martyred on Monday.

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