DG CRPF awards 49 personnel for gallant action during Nagrota encounter

CRPF Director General A P Maheshwari on Saturday felicitated 49 personnel of the force for their gallant action during the Nagrota encounter with Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.

Three Pakistani JeM terrorists were killed and their three Kashmiri associates were arrested after the CRPF and police intercepted a Srinagar-bound truck at Ban Toll Plaza in Nagrota area, 28 kms from here, on Friday.

The CRPF chief, who reached Jammu this morning and visited the site of the encounter, felicitated 25 jawans with DG's Disc and another 24 with DG's Commendation letter for their gallant action at a 'Sainik Sammelan", officials said.

"It was a difficult operation given the topography of the terrain at the encounter site. Full credit goes to the CRPF and the local police for their presence of mind and raw courage in neutralizing the threat," Additional Director General of CRPF, Jammu and Kashmir Zone, Zulfiquar Hassan told reporters here.

Giving details of the operation, he said the CRPF personnel along with two unarmed policemen intercepted a truck on the highway in the early morning hours at Nagrota, leading to an encounter.

"One terrorist was killed instantly in the retaliatory firing, while two of his associates managed to escape towards a gorge but were chased by the joint parties of security forces and neutralised," Hassan said, adding the prompt response by the CRPF personnel averted many casualties among the security forces.