At least three militants from the Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group, including their commander Sajad Haider, were killed in a joint operation by the Indian Army, India’s CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) and Kashmir police on Aug. 18, 2020, in the Kreeri, Pattan region of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
The Director-General of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police, Dilbagh Singh confirmed the terror group militants were eliminated in comments reported by News Intervention.
The encounter took place soon after the terrorists attacked a joint check post of the police and the CRPF, at Kreeri. Three security forces personnel, including two CRPF members and one J&K Police officer, were killed in the attack, News Intervention reported. One of the terror group’s militants was also injured in the initial fighting.
The security forces immediately responded to the attack and launched a search operation that zeroed in on the militants. A special operations group (SoG) of police engaged the militants and one of them was killed a few meters away from the spot of the militant group’s attack. Singh said the militants fled to the nearby orchard, which was cordoned off by the SoG. Indian Army and CRPF forces joined in the mission and killed a second militant. The forces searched the area, eventually finding and killing the third militant.
In total, the encounter resulted in the killing of three Lashkar-e-Taiba militants, including Haider and two of his associates, Anayatullah Mir, a local, and Usman, another LeT commander of Pakistan.
Haider’s militant activities were aligned with that of another militant group, the Hizbul Mujahedeen. The Hizbul Mujahedeen was previously led by Burhan Wani until he was killed in 2016. The Hizbul Mujahadeen militant group recruited many local youth for its militant activities. Singh said Haider similarly recruited young boys to his militant group and that J&K police have arrested at least 20 of the youths recruited.
Singh, said Haider had adopted the strategy of another slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Reyaz Naikoo, who released video messages to lure youth and to issue threats to political workers and forces.
Singh said Haider was also involved in the killing of fruit traders and security force personnel.
“His killing is a big success for security forces,” said Singh.
