Two identified as foreigners, one local; 2 M 4 carbines, one AK rifle recovered, Big success for us, says IGP Kashmir; 17 militants killed in two weeks, slain include three foreigners, one local of JeM, says Army
Pulwama (Kashmir), Jan 05: Three militants affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammad including a local were killed in an encounter in the Chandgam area of Pulwama district, police said on Wednesday.
A senior police officer said, acting on a tip-off, a joint operation of Police, Army and CRPF launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) on specific information about the presence of militants in the area.
He said that as the joint team of forces approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them, which retaliated, triggering a gunfight.
The official said that during the search operation, as the joint search party proceeded towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired indiscriminately at the joint search party which retaliated effectively leading to an encounter.
“In the ensuing encounter, three militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of the encounter. Among the killed militants, two have been identified as a local militant Mir Owais, resident of Ashmander, Pulwama and a Pakistani national, Talha Yasir, linked with JeM. Regarding the third killed militant, although the recoveries made from the site of encounter indicate him to be a foreigner, his identification is being ascertained.
A police spokesman said that arms and ammunition including two M-4 Carbine and 01 AK series rifles were recovered from the site of the encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation.
Defence spokesman in Srinagar Colonel Emron Musavi in a statement said that taking advantage of the darkness and inclement weather, troops successfully established a grid lock around the target house and sealed all escape routes.
“Militants on seeing the escape routes blocked resorted to heavy firing including lobbing of grenades on the security forces at 05:30 am. This was effectively retaliated by troops and in the exchange of fire, three hard core militants including two Pakistani militants of JeM outfit were neutralized by the security forces,” the spokesman said.
He said that the third local slain was identified as Mir Owais Amin, of Ashimdor, Pulwama who was killed in February 2020.
“He was an OGW of JeM outfit before joining active militant and used to provide passage and accommodation to the foreign militant of JeM in Pulwama area,” the defence spokesman said. He said the security forces have killed 17 militants in last two weeks in south of Kashmir, including three foreign militants and four JeM militants.
