Pulwama: A civilian, a soldier and three militants, one of the said to be a top commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad, were killed in pre-dawn gunfight at Dalipora area of Pulwama district in south Kashmir on Thursday.
The authorities also imposed curfew in the area as youth took to streets in a bid to disrupt the “anti-militancy operation”. The authorities have been also snapped internet in the south Kashmir district.
Police sources said that three soldiers and a civilian were injured in the early phase of the gunfight and were removed to hospitals.
While the soldiers from 55 Rashtriya Rifles were shifted to army hospital Badamibagh, the civilian, Younis Ahmad Dar son of Jalal Din, has been shifted to Srinagar hospital from district hospital where he was initially admitted.
One of the critically injured soldiers succumbed to injuries, they added. His name is put as Sandeep Kumar but official confirmation was awaited. The other soldiers include Sepoys Arunesh and Ravindar.
Meanwhile police and government forces retrieved body of one militant from encounter site as there was brief lull in firing.
A fresh firefight resumed in the area in which two militants were killed and their bodies were later recovered, they said. During searches, body of a civilian, Rayees Ahmad Dar, was also recovered. Rayees is brother of injured Younis Ahmad, they said.
As per initial reports, the slain militants include Naseer Pandith of Karmibad Pulwama, Umar Mir of Bethipora Shopian and Khalid Bhai from Pakistan.
