Encounter breaks out in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama, 3 terrorists killed

At least three terrorists were killed on Saturday in an encounter that broke out between security forces and terrorists in Panzgam village of Awantipora in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Troops of 130 Battalion CRPF, 55 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and Special Operations Group (SOG) had launched a joint cordon and search operation after receiving inputs about the presence of terrorists in the area. 

According to reports, the firing has stopped. However, forces have tightened the cordon in the area.

On Thursday, three terrorists were killed and a soldier was injured in a gunfight between security forces and terrorists in Handew village of Shopian district. Earlier on the same day, three Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists, a civilian and a soldier were killed in an encounter in Pulwama district. "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.