Two terrorists killed in Balhama, hours after attacking BJP leader

3 terrorists, OGW arrested; 3 cops injured in clashes

SRINAGAR, March 15 : Two terrorists, who attacked a BJP leader in the day, have been killed in an encounter that broke out in Balhama area of Khonmoh in Pulwama district on Thursday night.

The bodies of the slain terrorists were yet to be recovered, even as the guns had fallen silent at the time of writing this report as the searches were to be carried out for recovering the same under the debris of at-least four residential houses where the terrorists were hiding.

A joint team of army, SOG, and CRPF has been pressed into the encounter which started after terrorists, believed to be three in number, fired upon the forces while they were conducting a search post the attack on the Personal Security Officer(PSO) of BJP leader Mohammad Anwar Khan near Arsh medical institute in Balhama, Khanmoh, in a bid to snatch his rifle.

The PSO identified as Bilal Ahmad suffered injuries in the incident and was rushed to a hospital, where his condition was stated to be stable, an official said.

Soon after the attack, terrorists fled and took shelter in Balhama village even as security personnel immediately surrounded the village. While Army, CRPF, and SOG cordoned off the entire area as they intensified the searches, the terrorists believed to be three in number hiding in the area fired upon joint team ensuing a gunfight.

In the late hours of the night, the forces managed to kill two terrorists.

“Two terrorists have been killed in the ongoing operation but their bodies have not been recovered so far,” CRPF PRO Kashmir Division Rajesh Yadav said. However, police or army was yet to confirm the same.

Four houses in which the terrorists were taking shelter have also been damaged in the gunfight. Two of the houses belong to Ghulam Mohammad Bhat and others to Mohammad Yousuf Bhat and Ghulam Mouhdin.

Meanwhile, there were stone pelting clashes in the area in which SHO Nowgam and two other policemen got injured. Police and CRPF resorted to tear gas shelling to disperse the stone-pelting youth.

Earlier in the day, averting a major tragedy, the security forces arrested three terrorists and seized arms and ammunition from their possession in Budgam district, while an Over-Ground Worker (OGW) of Hizbul Mujaheedin terrorist outfit was also arrested from Kulgam area of South Kashmir.

Acting on an intelligence input, the police and the Army conducted a joint raid and arrested three terrorists after recovering incriminating material including arms and ammunition from their possession.

The recoveries included three pistols, four magazines and twelve rounds, the official said, adding the accused were identified as Faizan ul Zaman Bhat son of Ghulam Qadir Bhat resident of Kandipora Bijhbehara, Sajad Ahmad Dar son of Ghulam Rasool Dar resident of Samboora Pulwama and Miaser Ahmad Dar son of Mushtaq Ahmad Dar resident of Samboora Pulwama.

They had come to Budgam with the intention to carry out some attack, the police said, adding that the timely arrest of these individuals has prevented commission of a serious crime.

“In this connection a blue colored vehicle which was used by the accused persons has been also seized,” an official said.

Police has registered a case and investigation is in progress to unearth the whole chain of conspiracy leading to this incident.

Later in the night, achieving yet another success, Army and J&K police arrested an Over Ground Worker (OGW) of Hizbul Mujaheedin terrorist outfit from Kulgam area of South Kashmir.

The Defence sources informed that based on credible inputs, team of army and JKP launched a joint operation in Kulgam and apprehended an OGW of terrorists identified as Shahnawaz Mir working for HM cadre in South Kashmir at 8:30 pm and recovered one Chinese Pistol from his possession.

The OGW was taken into police custody by police station DH Pura.

In the preliminary questioning the OGW disclosed various things and also that he was active since 2015 and worked for HM terrorist Farooq Bhat. Based on input revealed by the apprehended further search were pressed into.