Deccan Chronicle

Soldier killed; Hizb terrorist gunned down in encounter

25-yr-old jawan was leading his party when it encountere­d terrorists

- YUSUF JAMEEL | DC

An Army jawan and a local commander of Hizbul-Mujahideen were killed and another soldier was injured in a brief gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir’s southern Pulwama district on Wednesday morning.

Later, during the day, militants targeted a Quick Reaction Team of the Army with gunfire at Trumgund-Hygam crossing along the SrinagarBa­ramulla road, injuring, at least, one jawan of 15 Garwal regiment.

Soon after the attack, the Army’s 52 Rashtriya Rifles was joined by men from J&K police’s counterins­urgency Special

Operations Group and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to conduct searches in neighborin­g villages to apprehend the assailants.

The soldier who laid down his life while fighting militants in Pulwama’s Kamrazipor­a village has been identified as Sowar Jilajeet Singh Yadav.

J&K’s Director General of Police, Dilbag Singh, identified the slain militant in Pulwama clash as Hizb commander Azaad Lalhari and said that he was involved in a series of terror activities including the killing of police head constable Anoop Singh on May 22 in the district’s Prichu area.

“There are six FIRs registered against him at various police stations. Earlier he was detained under Public Safety Act for being an OGW (Over Ground Worker of militants) but after his release he became active again,” the DGP said.

The clash took place at Kamrazipor­a after the SOG, the Army and the CRPF’s 53 Battalion laid siege to the village to conduct searches.

The police and the Army said that in the initial exchange of fire, two Army jawans were injured.

They were quickly evacuated to Srinagar’s 92Base Hospital here where one of them succumbed to critical wounds.

One AK assault rifle was found on the slain militant, defence spokesman, Colonel Rajesh Kalia said.

The defence spokesman said that 25-year-old old Army jawan Yadav “was leading his party when it came into contact with the terrorists at Kamrazipor­a”.

He added, “After one terrorist was eliminated, Yadav received a gunshot wound. Despite being grievously injured, he continued to fight. He was subsequent­ly evacuated to

92 Base Hospital, Srinagar where he eventually succumbed to his injuries”.

He said that the slain soldier was a resident of Ijari village of Sadar tehsil, Jaunpur district in Uttar Pradesh and had joined the Army on March

18, 2014. He is survived by his wife Punam Devi.

THE SOLDIER who laid down his life while fighting militants in Pulwama’s Kamrazipor­a village has been identified as Sowar Jilajeet Singh Yadav.

THE SLAIN militant was involved in a series of terror activities including the killing of police head constable Anoop Singh on May 22 in the district's Prichu area.

THERE ARE six

FIRs registered against him at various police stations.

 ?? — PTI ?? Border Security Force (BSF) jawans display preparedne­ss in Pargwal area along the India-Pakistan border in Akhnoor of J&K on Wednesday, ahead of the Independen­ce Day.
— PTI Border Security Force (BSF) jawans display preparedne­ss in Pargwal area along the India-Pakistan border in Akhnoor of J&K on Wednesday, ahead of the Independen­ce Day.

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