Three terrorists killed in Pulwama encounter amid Defence Minister's J&K visit

Pulwama, May 15: Three unidentified terrorists were gunned down by security forces during an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Thursday, officials said.

The gunfight broke out in the Nader Tral area of Awantipora in south Kashmir after security personnel launched a cordon-and-search operation based on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists.

As the search progressed, the hiding militants opened fire, prompting retaliatory action from the forces in which all three were neutralised. Police said the identities and group affiliations of the slain terrorists are yet to be ascertained.

With Thursday's operation, the total number of terrorists eliminated in the past 48 hours has risen to six.

Earlier, three unidentified terrorists were killed during a security operation in the Shukroo Keller area of Shopian district, which began on May 13.

The latest encounter comes against the backdrop of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Jammu and Kashmir to review the security situation — his first since the launch of Operation Sindoor, on Thursday.

Interacting with troops at the Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar, Singh asserted that the operation had sent a strong message to terrorist groups and their backers across the border.

“Terror outfits and their masters in Pakistan should no longer consider themselves safe anywhere,” he said.

During his visit, the Defence Minister was briefed by senior military officials on the prevailing situation and the combat readiness of troops stationed in the region, particularly at the Indian Army’s XV Corps headquarters in Srinagar.

The developments come days after the Ministry of External Affairs announced on May 10 that both India and Pakistan had agreed to cease all military actions across land, air, and sea from 5 pm IST onwards.

With inputs from PTI