J&K encounter
Soldiers in action during an encounter with militants on the Line of Control (LoC).IANS

Three terrorists were gunned down by security forces in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Tral on Wednesday, February 19. The encounter started on Tuesday night in the Awantipora area in Pulwama.

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Terrorists identified

Among the slain terrorists was a dreaded top terror commander. The terrorists were identified as Jehangir Rafiq Wani, Raja Umer Maqbool Bhat and Uzair Ahmed Bhat belonged to the terrorist outfit Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind. 

Sources said that a team of Special Operation Group (SoG) of the police had got specific information about the terrorists after which the operation was launched in Awantipora.

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A joint team of police and Army conducted cordon and search operation (CASO) after which an encounter broke out with the terrorists. Three weapons and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site.

The module, which was earlier with Hizbul Mujahideen, had recently joined Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH).

Weapons seized

The security forces recovered dead bodies of 3 terrorists along with three weapons, AK-47- 01, AK-56- 01 Pistol and 1 Hand grenade. 

Jehangir Rafiq Wani was the second-in-command to Hizbul Mujahideen commander Hammad Khan in Tral in the Pulwama district. Sources said Jehangir joined AuGH shortly before the death of Hammad in January 2020.

The killed terrorist group was involved in a series of terror acts, including the killing of civilians, setting a truck on fire in November 2019, pasting of threat posters in September 2019 in Tral.