Srinagar, (UNI): A police man of elite counter insurgency unit was killed and three army men were wounded in an ongoing operation in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, police said.
A militant of Jaish-e-Mohammad has also been killed in the gunfight.
The gunfight erupted this evening when a joint team of Police, Army’s 34 Rashtriya Rifles and 18th battalion of Central Reserve Police Force launched a cordon and a search operation at Pariwan village in Kulgam against militants.
“Based on specific input an operation was launched. As the forces cordoned the suspected spot, hiding terrorists opened fire indiscriminate firing triggering a gunfight. In the initial firing a policeman and three army men were wounded,” a police officer said, adding two civilians also got minor injuries.
They said the injured were shifted to hospital where the policeman was declared dead.
Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Vijay Kumar identified the slain as Selection Grade constable Rohit Chhib. “#KulgamEncounterUpdate: One police personnel SgCt Rohit Chhib attained #martyrdom, 03 Army soldiers got injured. 02 civilians also got minor injuries. 01 #terrorist of #terror outfit JeM killed. #Operation continues,” IGP was quoted in a police tweet.
This is the first casualty of the forces in Kashmir this year.
The operation against the militants was underway till the last reports.
In Kashmir, the encounters have picked up in the last few weeks. This year 14 militants including top commanders of Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad have been killed in seven gunfights.
