Pulwama encounter: JeM chief Masood Azhar’s nephew among three militants killed in gunbattle with security forces

Pulwama encounter: Police sources told The Indian Express the operation, which involved the 44 Rashtriya Rifles and 182 Central Reserve Police Force, also claimed the life of an Indian Army soldier, whose identity is being withheld until his next of kin could be notified.

Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar’s nephew is among the three militants killed in the Monday evening encounter with security forces in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district. And for the first time, police has recovered a US-made M4 rifle from the possession of the slain militants. Police sources said that Azhar’s nephew Talha Rasheed is one of the three militants killed at Aglar village of Pulwama on Monday evening. Police sources also said that two of the three killed militants are Pakistani nationals and include Rasheed.

Azhar, who founded Jaish after securing his release following the hijack of IC 814, is one of the most-wanted Pakistan-based militant commanders.

Rasheed is the second relative of a top militant commander killed in Valley this year. Earlier this year, police killed Lashkar-e-Taiba militant Musaib at Hajin village of Bandipore. Musaib was the nephew of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhwi.

Over the last few days, pictures of militants holding the M4 rifle was doing rounds on social media. Police sources say it was the same rifle that was recovered on Monday and probably belonged to Rasheed.

A soldier was killed and a civilian injured in the gunfight that lasted for five hours at Aglar on Monday night.