Two militants, army man killed in gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district

Security personnel stand guard after a gunfight between militants and security forces at Padgampora, Awantipora, in Pulwama on Tuesday. ANI Photo

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday said that two militants were killed in a gunfight with security forces in south Kashmir's Awantipora area of Pulwama district, and incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from them. An army personnel was also killed during the gunfight.

The two militants are believed to be behind the recent killing of a Kashmiri Pandit.

Officials said the security forces cordoned off an area in Padgampora village following a tip-off that at least two militants were hiding inside the mosque. The incident, which comes after Sunday's killing of a Kashmiri Pandit, took place around 1.15 am.

"Security forces exercised extreme restraint given the fact that the two local militants were holed up inside a mosque. We were determined to ensure there was no damage to the mosque," a senior police officer said.

During the encounter, a soldier working with 55 Rashtriya Rifles received a bullet in his thigh, puncturing a main artery. There was heavy loss of blood and the soldier could not survive, the officer said.

Also read: Life-size statue of Sachin Tendulkar to be sculpted at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai: All you need to know

Recapping what had happened, he said one of the militants, identified as Aqib Mushtaq Bhat, was killed in the mosque premises. The other, identified as Ajaz Ahmed Bhat, a resident of Tral near Pulwama, jumped out, possibly from a window, and took refuge in a house close to the mosque.

His location was tracked through technical surveillance and security forces trapped him inside the house before shooting him dead, the officer said.

On Sunday, Sanjay Sharma, a bank guard, was shot dead barely 100 metres from his home in Achan in Pulwama when he was on his way to a local market. Sharma, was rushed to hospital by passersby but it was too late.

"Killed #terrorist identified as Aqib Mustaq Bhat of #Pulwama (A category). He initially worked for HM #terror outfit, nowadays he had been working with TRF. #Killer of late Sanjay Sharma #neutralised," Additional Director General of Police Vijay Kumar tweeted earlier in the day. (With inputs from PTI)