Soldier, militant killed in firefight

An Army jawan and a Hizbul Mujahideen militant, wanted by the National Investigating Agency for his alleged involvement in the escape of a Pakistani commander of LeT from the police custody last year, were killed and another soldier was injured in a gunfight in Ratnipora area of Jammu and Kashmir’s southern Pulwama district on Tuesday.

The Army said that 35year- old Havildar Baljeet Singh was a resident of Dinger Majra village of Haryana’s Karnal district and is survived by his wife, a daughter and a son. He had joined the Army in 2002. After the Army paid tributes to him at a wreath laying ceremony here, the slain soldier’s mortal remains were flown to his native village for the last rites, the Army said.

The police said that the slain militant Hilal Ahmed Rather had facilitated the escape of LeT commander Muhammad Naveed Jatt from the police custody at a Srinagar hospital in February 2018. Jatt was killed in an encounter with security forces in central district of Budgam in November last year.

The killing of the militant sparked off protests in Ratnipora during which irate crowds fought pitched battles with the security forces, leaving several persons injured, police sources and witnessed said. Later during the day, thousands of people attended the funeral of the slain militant, a report from Pulwama said.