Three terrorists killed, one soldier injured in Shopian encounter

Three terrorists were killed and a soldier was injured in a gunfight between security forces and terrorists in Handew village of Shopian district on Thursday. According to the latest reports, firing exchanges have stopped but the search operation is still going on.

"Bodies of the slain militants have been recovered. Their exact identities and group affiliation are being ascertained," police said.

Following specific information about the presence of terrorists, troops of the army's counter-insurgency Rashtriya Rifles and the Special Operations Group of the state police launched a cordon and search operation in Handew village, but came under fire from the hiding terrorists and retaliated.

Earlier in the day, three Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists, a civilian and a soldier were killed in an encounter in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir.        

Incriminating material including ammunition were recovered from the encounter site, a police spokesman said. "On a credible input, a cordon and search operation was launched this morning by police and security forces at Delipora area in district Pulwama," he said.     

He said as the security forces were evacuating civilians from the neighbourhood of the target house, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately.     

"In the process, one Army Jawan Sepoy Sandeep attained martyrdom and a civilian Rayees Dar also lost his life," the spokesman said.     

In the retaliatory action by security forces, three terrorists were killed in the ensuing encounter and their bodies were retrieved, he said.     

"They were identified as Naseer Pandith of Kareemabad Pulwama, Umar Mir of Shopian and Khalid from Pakistan," he said.     

The spokesman said according to the police records, the slain ultras were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit JeM. They were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities, he added.     

"Naseer Pandith had a long history of terror crime records before joining terrorist organisation and several terror crime cases were registered against him for planning and executing terror attacks in the area after joining proscribed terror outfit JeM," the spokesman said.     

Naseer was also involved in the killing of a policeman Mohammad Yaqoob Shah of Pulwama in 2018 on the eve of Eid, he said, adding the terrorist was also involved in several weapons snatching incidents reported from the area.     

He said Khalid, who was operating as JeM commander, was involved in several terror attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities in the area.

With PTI Inputs