Image Courtesy: India Today TV
Three Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) terrorists, a civilian and a soldier were killed on Thursday in an encounter in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. Army said that the encounter started during wee hours of Thursday.
A police official said that security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Delipora village of Pulwama district on a credible information about presence of terrorists there. He said that the hiding ultras opened firing on the search party, who retaliated.
An army official said that three terrorists were killed in the gun battle while a soldier and a civilian also lost his life in the operation. During encounter total three army men were also injured, one of them succumbed to his injuries later. The identity and group affiliation of the slain terrorists was being ascertained.
A civilian, believed to be the son of the house owner, was also killed and his brother wounded during the gunfight. The deceased civilian was identified as Rayees Dar and his injured brother as Younis Dar. After the encounter the authorities suspended Internet services in Pulwama. It is a common government practice, aimed to calm tensions and prevent anti-India demonstrations from being organised.
Authorities also imposed curfew in main town Pulwama as a precautionary measure. According to intelligence inputs, a top commander of JeM, who masterminded the 2017 attack on a CRPF camp, was believed to be among those trapped in the security forces’ cordon.
