A gunfight with the security forces on Saturday morning left four militants dead in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Weapons and warlike stores were recovered from the slain militants.

The encounter broke out after the security forces surrounded Hajin Payeen area of Rajpora village for a cordon and search operation after specific inputs of presence of militants there.

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The militants opened fire at the security forces triggering retaliatory action.

Reports had initially claimed that the slain militants were from the Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) outfit. However, their exact identities are yet to be ascertained.

Two of the militants had been killed earlier today. Security forces continued searching the area for the other two, who were gunned down following an exchange of fire.

Defence spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia said, “Four terrorists have been killed in Hajin Payeen village. Weapons and warlike stores have been recovered.”

Police advised people not to visit the site of the gunfight as there is an apprehension of some explosives being present there. But clashes broke out near the encounter site between protesters and the security forces immediately after the encounter ended.

The encounter comes on the day when a low-intensity blast rocked a bus stand in Jammu. No one was hurt in the incident but visuals showed slight damage to nearby buildings.

On 28 December, Friday, a militant was killed in an encounter in Pulwama’s Awantipora area.

Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in Banderpora-Rinzipora of Awantipora on Friday morning following information about the presence of militants there.

The slain militant was identified as Ishfaq Yousuf Wani.

On 22 December, the security forces had achieved a major success by killing six top terrorists of the Ansar ul Gazwatul Hind, the Kashmir version of Al-Qaida, in a brief encounter in Pulwama.

Among those killed was Soliha, the deputy chief of the Zakir Musa-led dreaded terror outfit.

Meanwhile, late on 28 December, the Indian Army recovered two AK 47s and warlike stores buried in the ground in a search operation in Samba sector of Jammu.