Four Soldiers Killed In Encounter  During Search Operations In Pulwama

Srinagar:Four soldiers, including an officer, were killed in an encounter with militants in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, defence sources said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Pinglan area of Pulwama district of south Kashmir during the night after receiving inputs about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.

He said as the forces were conducting searches, the militants fired upon them, triggering off a gun battle.

A civilian was also reportedly killed but there was no confirmation so far.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. The area is under cordon and the operation is still on. (IANS)

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