Top JeM commander among 5 killed in J&K gunfight (2nd Lead)

Three Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) militants, including a top commander who masterminded the 2017 attack on a CRPF camp, a soldier and a civilian were killed in a gunfight on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, police said.

"The slain militants have been identified as two locals, Naseer Pandit and Umar Mir and a Pakistani Khalid Bhai. Khalid was a top JeM commander and he had masterminded the 2017 attack on the CRPF camp in Lethpora in which five troopers were killed," police sources said.

The civilian victim was identified as Rayees Ahmad Dar, son of the owner of a house where the militants were hiding. While Dar's brother Muhammad Younis, sustained a gunshot injury.

According to the sources, two soldiers and were also injured.

The gunfight started in Dalipora village early Thursday morning after security forces including Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Central Reserve Police Force (CR PF) and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the state police, started a cordon and search operation following a tip-off about the militants.

Amid massive clashes near the gunfight site and adjoining areas, authorities have imposed curfew in Pulwama town and suspended mobile Internet services.

Mobile internet speed has also been brought down in Srinagar city to prevent uploading of inflammatory pictures and posts.

--IANS

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