Major, Jaish commander among 9 killed in Pulwama encounter

Srinagar, February 18

Three Jaish militants, including a Pakistani commander of the group being investigated for his role in the February 14 CRPF bombing, and an Army major were among the nine people killed in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Monday, officials said.

The gun battle took place in Pulwama’s Pinglan area, about 12 km from the spot where a suicide bomber from the Jaish-e-Mohammed drove his explosives-laden vehicle into a CRPF bus last week, killing 40 jawans and critically wounding five.

The encounter claimed the lives of four Army personnel, three Jaish-e-Mohammed militants, a policeman and a civilian, officials said.

DIG (South Kashmir) Amit Kumar was injured during the ongoing anti-militancy operation. A Brigadier and a police constable were also injured in the gunfight. The policeman later succumbed to his injuries.

The slain militants were identified as Kamran, a Pakistani national and top commander of the Jaish, and Hilal Ahmad, a local recruited by the terror group, they said. The identity of the third militant was not known yet.

“Kamran’s role in the February 14 suicide bombing of a CRPF convoy was under the scanner of investigators,” a senior police official said.

The slain soldiers are Major VS Dhondial, Havildar Sheo Ram and Sepoys Hari Singh and Ajay Kumar.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation during the night after receiving inputs about the presence of militants in the area, a police official recounted.

Militants fired at the forces as the searches got under way, triggering a gun battle, officials said.

The Jaish has claimed responsibility for the February 14 terror attack that targeted a convoy of 78 vehicles on its way from Jammu to Srinagar. About 2,500 CRPF personnel were on their way to the Valley, many returning to work after leave. PTI