3 J&K militants, 2 security men killed in firefight

Srinagar: Three Jaish-e-Muhamm-ad militants, an Army jawan and a policeman were killed in a firefight that took place in woods outside the Tral town of Jammu and Kashmir’s southern Pulwama district on Tuesday. The clash sparked off street protests in Tral area, leaving several people injured, the witnesses said.

The security forces, including Army’s 42 Rashtriya Rifles, J&K police’s counter-insurgency Special Operations Group (SOG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), launched an operation in Tral’s Goyetengo Laam forest area following receiving reports about the presence of militants there.

In the initial exchange of fire, Army jawan Ajay Kumar and SOG policeman Latief Gojri were critically injured. Both of them succumbed to their injuries, the officials said, adding that Kumar died at the Army’s 92-Base Hospital in Srinagar and Gojri breathed his last while being shifted to hospital.

A report said that the militants managed to escape after the brief encounter. However, they were intercepted by security forces’ reinforcements in upper forest area of Laam, leading to fierce gunbattle during which all the three were killed. Inspector general of police (Kashmir range) S.P. Pani confirmed it and said that the slain militants are believed to be members of Jaish-e-Muhammad. A mopping up operation in the woods is underway, he said.

The police sources said that the Army used helicopters to locate the fleeing militants and then the ground forces took on them.  The sources also said two more Army jawans have been injured.