Two suspected militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Tral town of Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, police said.
One of the militants was a key accused in the Pulwama terror attack. The Jaish-e-Mohammad extremists outfit had claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force jawans in Pulwama on February 14.
“Based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in Pinglish area of Tral Awantipora, a cordon and search operation was launched today jointly by police and security forces in the area,” police said. “As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the terrorists. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight.”
The police said the militants’ affiliation with Jaish-e-Mohammad was ascertained through the “incriminating materials” they found at the site of the encounter, including arms and ammunition. “Their identities are being ascertained,” the statement added.
“Citizens are requested not to venture inside encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials,” police said. “People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitised and cleared of all the explosive materials if any.”
The police will use DNA profiling to identify the militants, whose bodies are charred beyond recognition.
On March 7, Indian security forces had killed a suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir. He was identified as a Pakistani called Anwar.
Four civilians injured in cross-border firing
Meanwhile, four civilians were injured as Pakistan allegedly violated ceasefire across the Line of Control in the Uri sector on Sunday, PTI reported. The wounded were admitted to hospital, a police officer said. Three homes were damaged.
The injured were identified as Riyaz Ahmad, Meena Begum, Asif Ahmad and Ishtiyaq Ahmad, Greater Kashmir reported. Two of the injured were transferred to hospitals in Srinagar, it added.
Residents said the shelling began at midnight on Saturday, but intensified on Sunday around 2 pm. “During the midnight shelling, a residential house suffered damage, but on Sunday afternoon, the Indian and Pakistani forces resorted to heavy shelling, resulting in injuries to four persons,” Anwar Hussain, a resident of Kundi Barjala village said.
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