Security forces killed two terrorists in an encounter that broke out in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district during the intervening night on Monday and Tuesday. An Army jawan was also killed in the line of duty while another was injured in the joint operation with Jammu and Kashmir police.
As per the police, one of the terrorists neutralised in the encounter was involved in the killing of Kashmiri Pandit Sanjay Sharma, who was shot dead near his house in Pulwama district on Sunday.
Based on specific information about the presence of terrorists in the Padgampora Awantipora area, a joint team of security forces including the Indian Army launched a cordon-and-search operation, police said.
As the security forces approached the suspected area, hiding terrorists opened fire at them, injuring two soldiers. Of the two, one later succumbed to his injuries at the army’s 92 base hospital in Srinagar, while the other is under treatment.
Later two terrorists were also neutralised in the operation, of then one was involved in the killing of Sanjay Sharma.
Vijay Kumar, ADGP Kashmir said the slain terrorist was identified as Aqib Mushtaq Bhat, a native of Pulwama, who was an ‘A’ category terrorist.
“He initially worked for HM (Hizb-ul-Mujahideen) terror outfit, nowadays he had been working with TRF,” ADGP Kashmir said in a tweet.
The second terrorist is yet to be identified.
DIG south Kashmir Rayees Bhat told media that “a total of 14 people were rescued from a house where a terrorist was holding up,” adding that operation was concluded and weapons were recovered.
Police said maximum precautions were taken during the operation, considering terrorists were holding hostages inside a mosque.
With this operation, J&K police have successfully claimed to have killed the terrorist involved in the murder of Sanjay Sharma.
Read all the Latest India News here