Two Jaish operatives killed; Woman dies in crossfire

Two Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists were gunned down by security forces in an overnight encounter in the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir while a woman also died after getting hit in the crossfire, police said today.
According to a police spokesperson, the slain militants were involved in several terror incidents including an attack on the vehicle of Jammu and Kashmir Bank near Poju in Shopian on December 11 in which two guards were killed.
Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Wanipora area of Shopian last evening following information about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.

The search operation turned into an encounter as militants opened fire, he added.
"Two militants were killed while a third apparently managed to escape from the spot," the official said.
He said that a lady was injured during the exchange of fire. She was shifted to a hospital but succumbed to her injuries.

Some miscreants pelted stones at security forces during the operation, prompting the use of crowd control weapons including tear gas to disperse them, he said.
People should refrain from going near the encounter site as the area has not yet been sanitised, the official added.
Meanwhile, a police spokesman said two security personnel -- one from the Army and a policeman -- were injured during the operation.

Giving details , the spokesman said during the encounter, at the request of his family, police officials made repeated announcements asking local militant Tanveer Ahmad to surrender but he ignored the offer.
"The terrorists continued firing on the security forces which was retaliated. Two Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists were killed in this encounter and were identified as Tanveer Ahmad from Bata Murran, Shopian, and Ali alias Qari, a foreigner. Two AK rifles and other allied ammunition were recovered from the encounter site," he said.
The spokesman said that another terrorist fled from the encounter site taking advantage of the darkness.
"During cross-firing, one lady identified as Ruby, wife of Manzoor Ahmad Mir was critically injured. She later succumbed to injuries at district hospital Pulwama," he added.

The official said that nine civilians were injured adding their condition was said to be stable.