At least two militants have been confirmed dead in an encounter with security forces and police in Kashmir's Pulwama district on Thursday morning. One of the militants has been identified as a Kashmiri resident named Manzoor Ahmad in Kapora area of South Kashmir and the other a foreigner, Hindustan Times reported.
In a statement issued on Thursday evening, the army said it had launched a joint operation with police in Malwar village of Pulwama district on Thursday morning based on intelligence inputs.
"As the army commenced the search of the suspected house, the heavy volume of fire was drawn by the terrorists hiding inside the house following which a gun battle ensued. The security forces effectively cordoned off the house to prevent escape of the terrorists. At about 10.00 am, while making an attempt to escape from the cordoned house both the terrorists were gunned down by the security forces," HT quoted the statement.
The army also recovered arms, which included an AK-47 and a Chinese pistol.
On Thursday, Rayees Mohammad Bhat, the senior superintendent of Police (SSP) of the area, told a publication that the two militants were killed in a gunfight that flared in the Newa area of Pulwama. Security forces had cordoned off the area during the time when the search operation was going on.
A police official quoted by the publication said "two cops have been injured in the firing."
According to India Today, the bodies of the two militants have been sent for post-mortem. Following the news of the encounter, locals living in the area took to the streets and pelted stones at the police.
Previous encounters in Pulwama
This is not the first time an encounter between security forces and militants has taken place in Pulwama. On December 8 last year, two terrorists were killed in an encounter with the police and CRPF forces in Pulwama district of Jammu & Kashmir. Previously on 26 October, two militants were killed in a joint operation by the Indian army and the local police in Drabgam area of Pulwama district.
In mid-October, a militant dressed as a burqa-clad woman opened fire at a bus stand in Pulwama district, which left two civilians injured.
