Army jawan, 3 terrorists killed in 2 J&K encounters

SRINAGAR: An Army jawan and three terrorists were killed in two counter-insurgency operations in south Kashmir's Kulgam and Pulwama districts early on Tuesday. Two CRPF personnel were also injured in the Kulgam encounter.

Based on intelligence inputs, a joint team of personnel from Indian Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police cordoned off Kulgam's Redwani village and launched an anti-terror operation. The holed-up terrorists opened fire, triggering a gunfight in which two Lashkar-e-Taiba ultras - Ajaz Ahmad Makroo from Qaimoh and Waris Ahmad Malik from Arwani - were killed, said a senior police officer.

Jawan Prakash Yadav, CRPF sub-inspector Amit Kumar and constable Avnish sustained injuries in the firefight. They were rushed to a hospital where Yadav later succumbed.

Ajaz Makroo was a close aide of top militant commanders including Naveed Jatt - he made a dramatic escape from Srinagar's SMHS hospital this February and is an accused in journalist Shujaat Bukhari's killing - and Azad Dada, who was killed in a similar encounter earlier this week. Both Ajaz and Waris Malik were wanted in several criminal cases, said police.

Security forces launched another anti-insurgency operation in Hafoo Reshipora area of Pulwama's Tral, in which one Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind terrorist - identified as Shakir Hassan Dar - was killed. A wanted criminal since 2015, Shakir belonged to Rathsuna and was a close associate of Zakir Musa, commander of the terror outfit, said cops.

In a bid to disrupt the operations, terrorist sympathizers in both regions pelted stones on the security forces, who used tear gas to disperse the protestors. Police seized a huge quantity of arms and ammunition from both encounter sites and warned citizens against venturing into the operation zones as they may still contain some stray explosive materials.

Mobile internet remained suspended in both areas soon after the encounters broke out. Thousands of citizens participated in the funeral procession of the slain terrorists in their respective native villages. Mourners chanted pro-Azaadi and anti-India slogans.