J-K: 4 JeM terrorists killed, Pakistani intruder held

Pakistani intruder Ameer Yusuf. Photo: SNS


Four Pakistani terrorists of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in the Kashmir valley and Jammu on Thursday.

Two terrorists were killed in the Chinkipura area of North Kashmir’s Sopore in Baramulla district, while two of the three terrorists who escaped on Wednesday after firing from a truck at a CRPF post on the Jammu–Srinagar highway was killed at Jhajjar Kotli near Katra.

A DSP of the J&K Police and 4 CRPF and police personnel were injured in the encounter. They have been rushed to the hospital of Vaishnodevi Shrine Board for treatment.

The three terrorists had infiltrated into Hiranagar from Pakistan and were heading towards Kashmir when the truck in which they were traveling was intercepted by the police. They fired at the CRPF personnel and escaped. However, the Army, CRPF, and police cordoned the area and contact with the terrorists was established this morning when the encounter began.

Helicopters and drones were used to track the terrorists. The operation was continuing as two more terrorists were hiding in the area.

Army spokesman, Colonel Rajesh Kalia said arms and ammunition had been recovered from the encounter spot at Sopore. Two Pakistani terrorists of JeM were killed. They have been identified as Ali @ Athar and Zia-ur-Rehman.

Police said that Ali was the mastermind behind the Sopore IED blast in which four policemen were recently martyred.

A joint team of Army, CRPF and J&K Police cordoned the area following credible reports about the presence of terrorists in the area. The terrorists opened fire on security forces when they reached near the spot resulting in the encounter.

The area was being searched at the time of writing this report.

In another incident, the Army last night apprehended a Pakistani national who breached the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch sector and entered the Indian territory.

Army spokesman, Lt. Colonel Devender Anand said that the infiltrator was nabbed along the Ranghar Nullah. He has been identified as Ameer Yusuf, resident of Narol village in PoK.

He has been handed over to the police.

Some Pakistani currency and an ID card were recovered from his possession.