Pakistanbased JeM commander gunned down in Valley encounter

A Pakistani commander of militant outfit Jaishe-Mohammad (JeM) was gunned down by security forces in an encounter in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Sunday, police said.

Police and army were carrying out a cordon-and-search operation in Awantipora’s Tral town when the militants hiding in the area opened fire on them, a police spokesperson said in a statement.

“In the ensuing encounter, one terrorist was killed. Huge quantity of arms, ammunition and incriminating material was recovered from the encounter said,” the spokesperson said.

The police official identified the slain militant as Adnan, who he said was from Pakistan and a top commander of JeM. He added that a soldier and a civilian, identified as Manzoor Dar, were also injured in the gunfight.

Local residents said that after the gunfight started, a few youngsters started pelting stones on security forces, triggering clashes near the encounter site.

The Pulwama encounter broke out a day after security forces launched large-scale search operations in Kashmir’s Pulwama and Shopian districts after three policemen were abducted and killed by militants on Friday.

On the same day, security personnel killed five Lashkare-Taiba (LeT) militants, who they said had recently infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir, in the state’s Bandipora district.

SRINAGAR: FORCES WERE CARRYING OUT A CORDONANDSEARCH OPERATION IN TRAL WHEN THE MILITANTS HIDING IN THE AREA OPENED FIRE ON THEM, TRIGGERING A GUNFIGHT, POLICE SAID