CRPF Man Martyred, Two Terrorists Killed In Encounter In Jammu And Kashmir's Pulwama

A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper was martyred during a gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, which also left two terrorists dead.

Police said the two terrorists and a CRPF jawan were killed early Tuesday in an encounter between the security forces and the militants in Bandzoo village of Pulwama district.

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Bandzoo village is situated one kilometre ahead of Pulwama town on Pulwama-Shopian road.

"Following specific information about the presence of militants in Bandzoo village, security forces including the local police, Rashtriya Rifles and the CRPF started a cordon and search operation during which an encounter started.

"Two militants have been killed in this encounter. A CRPF jawan sustained critical injuries during the encounter.

"He later succumbed to critical injuries. Firing has stopped, but searches are still going on," police said.

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The slain trooper has been identified as Sunil Kale, a resident of Pangaon village in Solapur district of Maharashtra.

He joined the service in 2000 and was posted in Jammu and Kashmir for some time, the official said.

In a related development, a joint operation by the security forces busted an active hideout loaded with arms and ammunition in Srinagar's Harwan on Tuesday.

"A joint operation launched at Harwan in Srinagar today on own sources inputs corroborated by Jammu and Kashmir Police. An active hideout busted and warlike stores-Underbarrel Grenade with grenades, GPS, AK magazine and administrative stores recovered," said Chinar Corps, Indian Army.

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Earlier, on Sunday, three terrorists were killed in a gunfight in Srinagar. This was the second such operation in the city in just over a month.

In the past few months, the Indian Security Forces have stepped up the offensive in the Kashmir Valley.

Since the beginning of this year, more than 100 terrorists have been killed in the valley by the security forces.

This includes some top commanders of Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Just over a month ago, Hizbul commander Junaid Sehrai, the son of separatist group Tehreek-e-Hurriyat's chairman Ashraf Sehrai, who was deputy to the new Hizbul Mujahideen Chief in Kashmir Valley Saifullah was killed in an encounter.

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Twenty-nine-year-old Sehrai's journey into Hizbul Mujahideen terror ranks began in March 2018 days after his father Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai replaced Syed Ali Shah Geelani as chairman of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat.

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Two weeks later Riyaz Naikoo, a top Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist and the de facto chief of the terror group after the death of Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter in Pulwama.