4 Army personnel martyred, 3 terrorists neutralised during encounter in Pulwama

Srinagar: Close on the heels of the deadliest terrorist attack in Pulwama on February 14, four Army personnel including a Major were martyred and one soldier was injured during an encounter between terrorists and security forces in Pinglan area of Pulwama district of South Kashmir today.

Later, three Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants were also gunned down by security forces.

The martyred soldiers have been identified as Major VS Dhoundiyal, Havaldar Sheo Ram, Sepoy Ajay Kumar and Sepoy Hari Singh who belonged to 55 Rashtriya Rifles, reported ANI. The gunfight started late Sunday night after security forces, including the Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Special Operations Group (SOG) of the state police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), surrounded Pinglena village upon receiving a tip off that Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) militants were hiding in the area.

"As the cordon was tightened, the holed-up militants fired triggering the gunfight," police sources said, adding that a search operation is ongoing at the site.

The gunfight comes less than a week after 49 CRPF troopers were killed on February 14 after their convoy was targeted by a JeM suicide bomber on the Jammu-Srinagar highway in Pulwama.

According to the police sources, Sunday night's gunfight site is some 10 km away from the suicide attack spot.

(With IANS inputs)