3 terrorists, including Jaish commander killed in Pulwama encounter

Jammu, Feb 18:Three JeM terrorists, including two top commanders believed to be behind the Pulwama terror attack, were killed in a fierce 16-hour encounter, in which an Army major and four security forces personnel lost their lives in south Kashmir on Monday.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (South Kashmir) Amit Kumar, a Brigadier, a Lt. Colonel, a Major and four other ranks of the Army unit which carried out the operation suffered injuries, they said.

Two of the slain terrorists were identified as Kamran and Abdul Rasheed alias Ghazi, the so-called divisional commanders of Jaish-e-Mohammed for Pulwama, Tral and Awantipora areas of South Kashmir. The third one was Hilal, a resident of Pinglena in Pulwama, they said.

The house in which the terrorists were holed up was blasted by security forces. As per reports, top Jaish-e-Mohammed operative, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the Pulwama suicide bombing, is believed to have been inside the building which was blasted.

The security forces has also recovered one AK-47 & one pistol.

ANI reported while quoting Army sources that Army is constantly briefing Defence Minister & other senior govt functionaries on the developments in Kashmir. Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists have moved from their hideouts to locations near populated areas fearing retaliation from security forces.

''Pakistan Army positions across the border on the LoC are seeing heightened activities as they are on high operational alert,'' further said.

Kamran, the terrorist who was cornered by security forces is reportedly a Pakistani "chief operational commander" of the Jaish-e-Mohammad. He was a dreaded terrorist, known for radicalizing, recruiting and training terrorists in the Kashmir Valley.

The alleged mastermind of the 14 February IED suicide attack on a CRPF convoy by the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Abdul Rashid Ghazi aka Kamran trained the attacker, Adil Ahmed Dar and was also responsible for many other attacks on security forces in recent times.

A fresh encounter in Pulwama broke out on Monday morning in South Kashmir's Pulwama after the Pakistan-based outfit's Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants fired upon security forces.

Reports said a joint team of Indian Army's 55 Rashtriya Rifles, CRPF and Special Operation Group launched a cordon in the wee hours on Monday.

Meanwhile,Internet services have been suspended in parts of the Kashmir valley in wake of the encounter between security forces and JeM militants. Internet services are also down in Jammu.

India has already begun efforts to isolate Pakistan on the international level. India will urge the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) an international monetary watchdog, to blacklist Pakistan. The FATF has already included Pakistan in its 'grey list'.

Pakistan on Sunday denied its role in the Pulwama terror attack, saying that accusations were India's tactics to put the blame on the neighbours for its security and intelligence failures.