Four fidayeen killed in encounter with security forces in J-K's Rajouri

Four militants, who were part of a suicide squad, were today killed in a day-long encounter with security forces in the Sunderbani area of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.

Indian army soldiers take position near a residential building in Srinagar. | AP

SRINAGAR: Four militants, suspected to be fidayeen, were killed in a day-long encounter with security forces close to the Line of Control (LoC) in Sunderbani area of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Rajouri, Yougal Manhas said police and Army personnel had been conducting searches in Sunderbani area for three to four days after receiving information that a group of militants had infiltrated from across the LoC recently.

He said contact was established with the militants in the area on Wednesday. “When challenged, the militants fired on security personnel. Troops returned the fire, and in the ensuing gunfight, which continued the whole day, four militants were killed,” he said.

The police officer said four rifles, 18 magazines, IEDs and other ammunition were recovered from the encounter site.

The identity of the slain militants and the outfit to which they belonged was being ascertained.
The police officer said weapons and IEDs recovered from the militants indicated that they were fidayeen and had infiltrated to launch major attacks on the security forces.

“All the slain militants seem to be foreigners,” he said. He said the security forces suffered no injuries during the encounter.

DGP S P Vaid said the slain militants had recently infiltrated from across the LoC.
An army official said the operation in the area had been called off. “However, a search operation in the adjoining areas is going on to ensure that none of the militants are hiding there,” he said.
After the gunfight broke out, authorities closed all educational institutions in the area as a precautionary measure.

Wednesday’s encounter in Sunderbani is the second gunfight between militants and security forces in Jammu province this year.

On February 10, three Jaish-e-Mohammad militants had stormed an army camp at Sunjawan in Jammu. In the encounter, which went on for two days, 10 persons, including six Army personnel, a civilian and three attackers were killed.