Srinagar, May 16 (KNS): Three Jaish-e-Muhammad militants, a civilian and an Army man were Thursday killed in an encounter that raged between forces and militants in Dalipora area of South Kashmir's Pulwama district this morning.
Police said that after credible inputs about the presence of militants, a cordon and search operation was launched in the village. “On a credible input, a cordon and search operation was launched today morning by police and other forces at Dalipora area in District Pulwama,” police said.
“As the joint team of forces was evacuating civilians from the neighbourhood area around the target house, the hiding militants fired indiscriminately. In the process one Army Jawan Sepoy Sandeep attained martyrdom and one civilian Rayees Dar also lost his life,” said police spokesman.
After the forces retaliated, three militants were killed in the ensuing encounter and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. Police identified the slain militants as Naseer Pandith of Kareemabad Pulwama, Umar Mir of Shopian and from the incriminating material recovered from the site of encounter, one militant has been identified as a Pakistani namely Khalid.
Meanwhile, clashes erupted between youth and forces near gunfight site during which scores of youth sustained injuries. The youth as per reports took to the streets and pelted forces with stones who in retaliation used tear gas canisters to disperse them.
“According to the police records, the slain militants were affiliated with JeM. They were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities. Several crime cases were registered against them,” said police spokesman.
“As per police records Naseer Pandith had a long history of terror crime records before joining the militant organization and several crime cases were registered against him for planning and executing attacks in the area after joining proscribed terror outfit JeM. He was also involved in the killing of a policeman Mohammad Yaqoob Shah of Pulwama in 2018 on the eve of Eid. He was also involved in some weapon snatching incidents reported from the area besides several cases were registered against him for his criminal activities including case FIR No 30/15 and 277/14 under NDPS Act and a case FIR No 25/16 pertaining to forgery,” he said.
Similarly, Khalid who was operating as commander of proscribed militant outfit JeM was involved in several attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities in the area. Many crime cases were registered against him. Umar Mir was also involved in several attacks and was part of groups responsible for attacks on security forces,” he added.
“Incriminating materials including arms & ammunition was recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror crime cases,” he said.
Meanwhile, police appealed people not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials. “People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials if any,” spokesman said.
Moreover, a gunfight raged between forces and militants in Shopian district this afternoon. The exchange of fire was going on when the report was last filed. (KNS)