4 militants killed in gun battle with security forces in J-K’s Pulwama

Four militants were killed in a gunfight with security forces in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Monday. Four security personnel, including three army jawans, were wounded in the encounter.

Security officials said that a joint party of the police, army and CRPF launched a search operation at Lassipora in Pulwama after information about presence of militants.

The police said that during the searches, the hiding militants fired upon the search party that led to gun fight between the two groups.

“In the ensuing encounter, four terrorists were killed and the bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter,” said police spokesman, Manoj Kumar.

He said that the identities and affiliations of the militants are being ascertained.

“In the initial exchange of fire, three army jawans and one policeman sustained injuries. They have been hospitalised for the treatment of their injuries and are stated to be stable,” he said.

The police said that it was a clean operation and no collateral damage happened during the encounter.

“Incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, was recovered from the site of encounter. The police has registered a case,” the spokesman said.

The police have requested the citizens not to venture near the place of encounter till the area is completely sanitised and cleared of all the explosive materials if any.

Last week six militants were killed in three separate encounters across the valley. While two militants of Jasih-e-Mohammad were killed in an encounter with security forces in Nowgam, Budgam in central Kashmir on Friday, four militants were killed in two encounters with security forces in Kashmir on Thursday.

Three militants of a combined group of proscribed outfits Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba were killed in south Kashmir’s Shopian. In another encounter, a JeM militant was killed in north Kashmir’s Handwara in Kupwara district.

Security forces have been aggressively pursuing militants, particularly those from Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), after a suicide car bomber of the outfit rammed a truck in a CRPF convoy in south Kashmir’s Pulwama on February 14 killing 40 jawans.

Since then, 36 militants have been killed in 16 encounters across the Kashmir valley. So far, 65 militants have been killed in various operations by security forces this year.

As many as 57 security forces personnel – 43 CRPF personnel including those of Pulwama attack, 8 army men and 6 police personnel have been killed in various encounters and militants attacks this year. As many as 14 civilians have also lost their lives in various incidents of violence.