J-K: Army jawan, 3 JeM terrorists killed in encounter

An Indian Army jawan and three terrorists were killed in an encounter that broke out on Thursday in Dalipora area of Pulwama district.

According to a statement issued by the Jammu and Kashmir police, the slain terrorists were affiliated to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), the Pakistan-based terrorist group responsible for the February 14 attack in Pulwama, among others.

As per the statement, cordon and search operation was launched on the basis of credible input by police and security forces earlier today in Pulwama. The terrorists were holed up in a house in Dalipora area and fired indiscriminately as the forces were evacuating civilians in the neighbourhood.

In the process, police said an Army jawan, Sepoy Sandeep, and a civilian, Rayees Dar, lost their lives.

After security forces retaliated, three terrorists were killed in the encounter and their bodies were retrieved. Two of them were identified as Naseer Pandith of Kareemabad, Pulwama, and Umar Mir of Shopian. The other terrorist was identified as Khalid, a Pakistani.

The deceased were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities, police said.

Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter and have been seized for further investigation.