3 Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists killed in pre-dawn encounter in South Kashmir's Pulwama

Pic for representational use only

KASHMIR: In a major breakthrough, at least three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists were gunned down by the security forces after a pre-dawn encounter broke out in the Chandgam village of Pulwama district in South Kashmir on Wednesday. 

Sharing more details, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said, "3 JeM terrorists have been killed in an encounter with security forces in Chandgam, Pulwama. One of them is a Pakistani national. Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition, including 2 M-4 carbines and 1 AK series rifle has been recovered from them.''

#UPDATE | Three JeM terrorists killed in an encounter with security forces in Chandgam, Pulwama. One of them is a Pakistani national. Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition including 2 M-4 carbines & 1 AK series rifle recovered: IGP Kashmir — ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2022

Kashmir Zone Police had earlier tweeted, “#Encounter has started at Chandgam area of #Pulwama. Police and security forces are on the job. Further details shall follow.”

Sharing more details, a J&K police official has earlier informed, “On a specific input of presence to terrorists in the village, a joint cordon and search operation was launched in the midnight. As the search party cordoned the suspected place and asked the trapped terrorists to surrender, they opened fire which was strongly retaliated and an encounter started.”

Sources initially said that there were inputs about 2-3 terrorists hiding in the area but the actual number can only be ascertained once the operation concludes.

It’s the fifth encounter in the first five days of New Year 2022. In the last four encounters in Kashmir, the security forces have managed to kill as many as 5 terrorists among them 4 were associated with LeT/TRF.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police had on January 1, 2022, said that one of the slain terrorists killed in the December 30 Anantnag encounter could possibly be Samir Dar, the last surviving terrorist involved in the 2019 Pulwama attack. 

IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that the picture of one of the terrorists killed in Anantnag matches with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)'s top commander Samir Dar. As as many as 40 CRPF personnel were killed in the attack on February 14, 2019, in Pulwama.