Security forces recover body of JeM militant killed in Budgam encounter

Security forces have recovered the body of a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant, who was injured in an encounter in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, from a stream near the site of the gunfight, police said on Friday.

“Police and Army, with the help of Marine commandos, last night recovered a militant’s body from a ‘nallah’ (stream) after four days’ search for the terrorists who had jumped into in after receiving bullet injuries during the encounter on September 7 at Kawoosa in Budgam district,” a police official said.

The encounter had broken out on Monday after security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Kawoosa area of the central Kashmir district following specific information about the presence of militants there.

Soon after the initial exchange of firing, clashes broke out near the encounter site as groups of youths pelted stones at the security forces who chased away the protestors by firing tear smoke shells.

While the gunfight stopped after a while, the security forces continued the search operation and after four days of searches in the area, a militant’s body was recovered, the official said.

The militant has been identified as Aqib Ahmed Lone, a resident of Aglar area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Lone was affiliated with JeM, the official said.

He said the security forces have also recovered a bag containing some arms and ammunition including a fully-loaded AK magazine, 13 Chinese grenades, 14 knives, 25 mobile phones and a ‘pheran’ (Kashmiri cloak) during searches in the stream.