Srinagar, August 17: Two terrorists, including a commander of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, were gunned down in an encounter with security forces, hours after two CRPF personnel and a Special Police Officer (SPO) were killed in a terror attack at Kreeri in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district on Monday. The operation is still underway, said the Kashmir Zone Police. One of the slain terrorists was identified as Sajjad alias Haider who was a commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba. Baramulla Encounter: 3 LeT Terrorists Behind Kreeri Attack in Jammu and Kashmir, Says IGP Vijay Kumar.

Immediately after the attack on a joint patrol party of the police and the CRPF, security forces launched a cordon and search operation to track down the terrorists who had escaped from the spot. Jammu and Kashmir's Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh told IANS that terrorists fired from the orchards, taking advantage of the thick foliage.

Baramulla Terror Attack: Two Terrorists Gunned Down in Encounter

Inspector-General (IG) Police Vijay Kumar told reporters that three terrorists from the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) were behind the attack and an operation is underway to nab them. "It seems Lashkar men who were three in number carried out the attack near a shallow stream where a joint team was on a normal naka duty. We will give a befitting reply to terrorists. Three terrorists escaped after firing at the check-post. One policeman and two CRPF jawans lost their lives," Kumar told PTI.

Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha paid tribute to the martyred security personnel. "He (Manoj Sinha) expressed his solidarity with the families of the martyrs and prayed for eternal peace to the departed souls," said the Department of Information and Public Relations of Jammu and Kashmir.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 17, 2020 04:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).