CRPF man dies in Kashmir gunfight, 2 JeM terrorists killed

SRINAGAR: A CRPF head constable and two Jaish-e-Muhammed terrorists, including a top commander of the outfit, were killed in an encounter in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Tuesday morning, IGP (Kashmir Range) Vijay Kumar said.
In north Kashmir’s Kupwara, security forces launched a search operation after a brief gunfight with terrorists, while caches of arms and ammunition were seized from hideouts busted in Srinagar and Poonch districts.
Late on Monday, a joint team of Army’s 31 RR, 55 RR, CRPF and J&K Police launched a cordon-and-search operation in Pulwama’s Bandzoo area based on intelligence inputs about a terrorist hideout. As the forces neared the spot, holed-up ultras opened fire triggering an encounter in which the two terrorists were shot dead.
CRPF head constable Sunil from Maharashtra, who sustained injuries was taken to the hospital where he later succumbed, IGP Kumar said.
The slain Jaish duo was identified as Owais Bhat and Ajaz Rather, one of them a top commander of the outfit, Brigadier Ajay Kotch of Army’s 12 Victor Force said. “They were involved in killing local labourers and harassing the residents. They also misguided Kashmiri youth, encouraged them to picking up arms,” Kotch said, adding that security forces also successfully kept away stone pelters trying to disrupt the operation.
(Inputs from Sanjay Khajuria in Jammu)