J&K: Terrorist who was part of Zakir Musa group gunned down in Tral encounter

Srinagar, June 26: One terrorist has been gunned down by the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Tral area. The gunbattle broke out between the security forces and the terrorists in Pulwama district this morning, said reports.

Troops of 42 Rashtriya Rifles with Special Operations Group Tral were carrying out cordon and search operations when an encounter broke out with terrorists, said reports.

"In the ensuing encounter, one terrorist was killed and the body was retrieved from the site of encounter. The identity and affiliation of the killed terrorist is being ascertained. Incriminating material including arms and ammunition recovered from the site of encounter," news agency ANI quoted J&K Police as saying.

Pulwama is in South Kashmir, an area considered to be millitancy prone. In February this year, a JeM terrorist rammed a car laden with explosives into a CRPF convoy, leaving over 40 jawans dead.

"The killed terrorist has been identified as Shabir Ahmad Malik from Nagbal Tral. As per the police records, he was initially affiliated with proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and later on, he was part of Zakir Musa group," J&K Police further said.

Also, Union Home Minister Amit Shah would be visiting J&K today to take stock of the security situation in the state ahead of the Amarnath Yatra. He would be briefed about the security situation and also the drills that are being undertaken to ensure that the Amarnath Yatra passes off peacefully. The Yatra will commence on July 1 and will go on for the next 46 days.

On June 23, four terrorists were shot dead in an encounter with security forces in Shopian in J&K.

On June 18, three civilians are critical and many others injured after a grenade that terrorists threw at a police station in J&K's Pulwama exploded outside on a busy road.