Srinagar, May 16: Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat on Thursday paid homage to sepoy Sandeep who attained martyrdom while fighting terrorists Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district. General Rawat laid a wreath to the mortal remains of martyred Jawan. The Army also expressed condolences to the family of the martyred soldier.

Earlier in the day, six terrorists were gunned down by security forces in two separate encounters in Pulwama and Shopian districts of the state.  In Pulwama encounter, three Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) terrorists, including a top commander who masterminded the 2017 attack on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp were killed. A civilian also lost his life in the crossfire.

General Rawat paid homage to martyred Indian army Jawan:

“The slain militants have been identified as two locals, Naseer Pandit and Umar Mir and a Pakistani Khalid Bhai. Khalid was a top JeM commander and he had masterminded the 2017 attack on the CRPF camp in Lethpora in which five troopers were killed," police sources said. The civilian victim was identified as Rayees Ahmad Dar, son of the owner of a house where the militants were hiding.

In a separate encounter in Shopian, three terrorists were neutralised by security forces. The encounter broke out after a joint team of Indian Army’s 44 Rashtriya Rifles, Special Operation Group (SOG) of the JK police and the CRPF launched a cordon and search operations this afternoon at Handew village of the district. Meanwhile, an Indian Army soldier was also reportedly injured in the gunfight. He was immediately rushed to the Army’s 92 base hospital Badamibagh Srinagar.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 16, 2019 11:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).