4 soldiers lost in one day, as key Pulwama attack man killed (2nd Lead)

The Indian Army on Tuesday killed yet another militant linked to the Pulwama attack that took away the lives of 40 CRPF troopers earlier this year. Despite losing four soldiers in past 24 hours in Jammu and Kashmir, the Army was successful in killing the Jaish man whose car was used in the February 14 attack.

The Jaish-e-Muhammad militant whose car was used in the Lethpora terror attack was killed on Tuesday in a gun fight with the security forces in the Anantnag district, police said.

Sajad Ahmad Bhat, JeM militant, whose car was used in the suicide bombing in the Lethpora area of Pulwama which killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force troopers and put the two neighbours on the brink of a major showdown, was among the two militants killed in Waghama.

"Sajad Ahmad Bhat alias Afzal Guru had joined militancy days before the Lethpora terror attack. He belonged to Marhama village," police sources added.

A soldier was also killed and two others injured in the Waghama gunfight, the police said.

Besides two soldiers, brought to the hospital with severe contusions/ concussions after the Arihal village IED explosion on Monday) also succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment in 92 Base Hospital on Tuesday, Defence spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia said.

The fourth one to die was Major Keran Sharma belonging to Meerut Cant (Uttar Pradesh) who died on Monday in the gunfight in Bidoora village of Anantnag.

The number of injured soldiers during this period has gone up to 22, police said. Two soldiers were injured during the Waghama gunfight while 19 were injured in Monday's IED attack on military vehicle in Arihal village of Pulwama district.

--IANS

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