Pulwama carnage mastermind among 3 terrorists killed, Major and 4 other security men also lose lives

Pulwama (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], Feb 18 (ANI): Three terrorists, including a top Pakistani commander suspected to be the mastermind of terror attack on CRPF convoy, were killed here on Monday in a fierce encounter in which a Major and four other security personnel also lost their lives and a Brigadier, a Lt Colonel, a Captain and a DIG of state police were injured.
Among the dead terrorists is suspected to be Kamran alias Ghazi, a Pakistani commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) believed to be behind the deadly attack of last Thursday in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed in this district, the sources told ANI.
Kamran, who is considered to be a close aide of JeM chief Masood Azhar, had crossed over to Kashmir from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in December last year, the sources added. He had been sent by Azhar to increase the terror incidents and involve locals in it.
A local terrorist, identified as Hilal, was also killed, the sources said.
The identity of the third terrorist killed was yet to be established.   
   The intense gun battle continued to rage in Pinglena village of Pulwama since late last night after the security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation on the basis of credible inputs about presence of terrorists in the area.
As the searches were going on, terrorists started firing indiscriminately on the search party from a house, the police said.
    In the initial burst of fire, four army personnel and one civilian sustained critical gunshot injuries.
    "They were evacuated to hospital for medical attention. Consequently, four injured jawans attained martyrdom and the civilian also succumbed to his injuries. The brave hearts have been identified as Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal, Hawaldar Sheo Ram, Sepoy Hari Singh and Sepoy Ajay Kumar," said a press release issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. 
    After two terrorists were killed, a third terrorist opened fire on the security forces, in which a Brigadier-rank officer of Rashtriya Rifles Harbir Singh, a Lt Colonel, a Captain and DIG of Jammu and Kashmir Police Amit Kumar were injured.
  Kumar was hit by a bullet in his leg and was airlifted to the Army hospital. He is said to be stable.
     Subsequently, the third terrorist was also killed, the state police said.
    A Head Constable of state police Abdul Rashid was also killed, the police said.
    Arms and ammunition were recovered from the site.
 The area is being sanitised to rule out presence of any more terrorists. (ANI)