CRPF officer, 2 militants killed in Pulwama gunfight

Srinagar: A CRPF officer and two unidentified were killed in an encounter that broke out between militants and government forces in Bandzoo area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Tuesday.
An official said two militants were killed while as a CRPF man who also injured in a brief exchange of fire, who succumbed later while as search operation is on in the area.
Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar said two militants and a CRPF personnel were killed in Bandzoo Pulwama while as search operation is underway in the area.
An official said that a joint team of Police, army’s 55 RR and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation on specific information about the presence of militants in the area.
He said that as the joint team of forces approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them which was retaliated triggering an encounter.
A police spokesman said that during the search operation as the presence of militants got ascertained they were given opportunity to surrender, however, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which was retaliated leading to an encounter.
“In the ensuing encounter, two terrorists were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. The identification and affiliation of the killed militants is being ascertained,” the spokesman. “During the encounter one CRPF personnel received critical gunshot injuries and later on succumbed to his injuries and attained martyrdom.” The spokesman said that arms (two AK rifles) and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror crimes.
“The bodies of the killed militants have been sent to Handwara for their last rites after conducting medico-legal formalities including collection of their DNA. In case any family claims the killed militants to be their kith or kin, they can come forward for the identification and participation in last rites at Handwara,” the spokesman said.