A cordon and search operation was launched jointly by J&K Police and security forces after receiving credible inputs about the presence of militants. (Shuaib Masoodi)
Kashmir Pulwama Terror Attack: Four soldiers, including a Major, and two militants were killed after an encounter broke out in Pinglena area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. The encounter is underway.
A cordon and search operation was launched jointly by J&K Police and security forces after receiving credible inputs about the presence of militants. The militants from inside the target house fired indiscriminately at the security forces as the search operation was going on.
In the initial exchange of fire, four Army soldiers and one civilian sustained critical gunshot injuries who were later rushed to the Army’s 92 Base Hospital in Srinagar. Four of the soldiers and the civilian, however, succumbed to injuries. The four Army men have been identified as Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal, Hawaldar Sheo Ram, Sepoy Hari Singh and Sepoy Ajay Kumar.
The attack from the militants was retaliated by the security forces leading to an encounter in which two militants were killed and their bodies have been retrieved from the encounter site. According to the police, the identity of the slain militants is being ascertained.
The encounter comes just days after a suicide bomber rammed an SUV laden with explosives into a bus, killing 40 CRPF jawans and injuring several others.
Former J&K Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti Monday expressed condolences to the families of soldiers killed in the Pulwama encounter, saying the bloodshed will only stop when the Centre overhauls its approach to Jammu and Kashmir. "Deepest condolences to the families. This bloodshed will only stop when GoI (Government of India) overhauls its approach (rather lack of it) towards J&K," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said in a tweet. She expressed the need to "stop the obsession with Pakistan" and "set our own house in order".
A Brigadier is the latest to be injured in the encounter that is presently going on in the Pinglena area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district. DIG South Kashmir Amit Kumar has also been injured in the gunfight after being hit by a bullet in the leg. In the initial exchange of fire, four Army soldiers and one civilian sustained critical gunshot injuries who were later rushed to the Army’s 92 Base Hospital in Srinagar. They later succumbed to the injuries.
(Express photo by Shuaib Masoodi)
The Pulwama encounter is still going on. DIG South Kashmir Amit Kumar has been injured in the gunfight after being hit by a bullet in the leg. In the morning, four soldiers, including a Major, and two militants were killed during the encounter in Pinglena area. Police sources say two more terrorists are holed up.
The weekly Poonch-Rawalakot cross-LoC bus service was suspended on Monday in view of the prevailing law and order situation in Jammu following the recent terror attack on a convoy in south Kashmir in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. "The cross-LoC (Line of Control) bus service was suspended in view of the prevailing law and order situation," Poonch District Development Commissioner Rahul Yadav said.
After talks with Argentine President Mauricio Macri, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the Pulwama attack has shown the time to talk about tackling terror is over and the world is now required to unitedly take concrete action against terrorism and those behind its spread. He further said that dithering to take action against terrorists and their supporters was akin to encouraging terrorism.
The district administration on Monday announced a three-hour curfew relaxation from 2 pm to 5 pm in south Jammu city. "Except for one or two places, curfew will be relaxed in all areas of South Jammu for three hours on Monday," said Jammu Deputy Commissioner Ramesh Kumar. In other areas, a decision to relax curfew will be taken after reviewing the situation, he added. Curfew was imposed in Jammu city and its outskirts on Friday following violence and arson during a bandh called in protest against the killing of 40 CRPF personnel in a militant attack in Kashmir.