Four Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists were gunned down while two security forces' personnel also lost their lives in a fierce encounter that broke out in the forest area in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, 24 April, an official told PTI.
Security forces had launched an anti-militancy operation in Laam forest of Tral area in Pulwama district following information about the presence of militants in the area, a police official told PTI.
He said a gun-battle broke out between militants and security forces when the ultras opened fire. The encounter went on for nearly three hours, Indian Express reported.
Initially, the two slain security force personnel identified as Sepoy Ajay Kumar and Constable Lateef Gujri were injured in the encounter, while the operation was still in progress, the official said.
But both succumbed to injuries after being admitted to a hospital. Weapons and other warlike stores were recovered from the scene of the incident, he added.
The identity of the slain terrorists was being ascertained, the official said adding at least two of them were believed to be foreigners, PTI reported.
Among the two local slain militants, one was said to be relative of a top commander who was killed in an encounter earlier, the daily quoted in its report.
With the search operation still on, there is a possibility of more militants hiding in the region, the Express report added.
In addition, after news of the encounter broke, protests erupted in the region but the police took charge of the situation and turned away the protesters.
(With inputs from PTI and Indian Express )
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