CRPF man, two militants killed in Pulwama gunfight

Our Correspondent

Anantnag, June 23

A CRPF personnel and two Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants were killed in an early morning gunfight today between security forces and militants in Pulwama district of south Kashmir.

The incident took place in Bandzoo village of Pulwama district.

The slain CRPF man was identified as Sunil Kaaley of the 182 Bn. While there was no official confirmation on the identity of the slain militants, police sources said they were locals and belonged to the JeM militant outfit.

The sources said they were identified as Owais Ahmad Bhat, resident of Moolu Czitragam in Shopian district, and Aijaz Ahmad Ganai, resident of Ramnagri in Shopian district.

The Commander of the Army’s 12-Sector, Ajay Katoch, said, “This morning a joint team launched a cordon and search operation in the village when the militants opened indiscriminate firing at us in which the CRPF man was killed.”

Katoch said the slain militants had been involved in the killing of non-local labourers last year, disrupting apple trade and forcing shopkeepers to keep their shops shut.

Pakistan, meanwhile, violated the ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district today.

The violation took in the afternoon when Pakistan fired mortars in the Machil sector.

“A befitting reply was given to them,” an Army statement said.

The forces also busted a militant hideout in Srinagar’s Harwan locality.

“An active hideout was busted and UBGL with grenades, GPS, AK magazines and administrative stores were recovered,” the Army said.

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