Three 'most wanted' Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists killed in Pulwama gunfight

Three "most wanted" Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists were killed on Sunday in an encounter with security forces in the Tral area of Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, police said.

The terrorists -- Umer Fayaz Lone alias "Hamad Khan" of Seer village, Faizan Hamid of Mandoora and Adil Bashir Mir alias "Abu Dujana" of Monghama -- were wanted for their complicity in terror crimes, including attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities, a police spokesman said.

He said the trio were affiliated with the proscribed Hizbul Mujahideen terror outfit and were trapped during a cordon-and-search operation jointly launched by police and security forces on a specific intelligence input in the Gujar Basti Gulshanpora area of Tral.

As the forces were conducting searches, the militants fired at them, triggering an encounter, resulting in their killing, the spokesman said.

According to police records, the spokesman said, Lone had a long history of terror crimes since 2016 and was involved in planning and executing several terror attacks in the area.

"He was part of groups responsible for carrying out a series of terror attacks and many other civilian atrocities besides killing of policeman Haleem Kohli of Gutroo Bangdar Tral and killing of civilian Mehraj Din Zarger of Tral," he said, adding he was wanted in 16 cases registered at Tral police station and two cases at Awantipora police station.

Similarly, the spokesman said, Adil Bashir Mir and Faizan Hamid had a history of terror crimes and were also involved in carrying out several terror attacks in the area.

"They were also part of the group involved in the killing of civilian Mehraj Din Zarger near Tral Bus Stand and were responsible for several other terror crimes. Terror crime cases were registered against both of them including three cases at Tral Police Station.

"Incriminating material, arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of the encounter," the spokesman said.