The encounter began in the afternoon at a village in Kulgam as Jammu and Kashmir Police, along with the Central Reserve Police Force and the army, were carrying out operations to clear a national highway ahead of the Amarnath Yatra, beginning June 28, a senior police official said.
The men, who had allegedly helped the four terrorists by providing them with vehicles and shelter, were arrested recently and taken into remand for further questioning, the police said.
An armyman lost his life in the encounter, while another soldier was injured.
The encounter broke out on Saturday morning after the security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in the area, following inputs about the presence of terrorists there.
Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Arampora village in Awantipora area of the south Kashmir district this morning following specific intelligence about the presence of terrorists there, a police official said.
The operation turned into an encounter after terrorists opened fire on security forces.
The deceased were identified as Abdul Majeed Ganaie, Mehraj-ud-din Dar, Anees Ahmad Mir and Hameed-ul-lah Ganaie.
The terrorists were identified by the police as Azad Ahmad Malik of Arwani in Bijbehara, Unais Shafi of Takiya Maqbool Shah, Bijbehara, Basit Ishtiyaq of Pushwara Anantnag, Atif Najar of Waghama Bijbehara, Firdous Ahmad of Muchpuna Pulwama and Shahid Bashir of Kawni Awantipora.
An A+++ category terrorist, Dujana had taken over the reins of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba in the Kashmir Valley after the group's divisional commander Abu Qassim was killed in 2013.
Shah, 34, was working with the Jammu and Kashmir Police as a Special Police Officer and had been given an out-of-turn promotion and selected as a constable.
Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Khiram in Srigufwara area of the south Kashmir district this morning after receiving specific intelligence input about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.
Mudasir Ahmed Khan alias 'Mohd Bhai, an electrician with a graduate degree and a resident of Pulwama, arranged the vehicle and explosives used in the terror strike.
The martyred policemen were identified as Constable Ishfaq Ahmad Mir, Constable Javaid Ahmad Bhat, Constable Mohammad Iqbal Mir and SPO Adil Manzoor Bhat.
'Did you ever stop for a while and asked yourself, what is going to happen to me the first night in my grave? Think about the moment your body is being washed and prepared to your grave.
According to a police official, an altercation broke out at a hotel where he allegedly wanted to enter with an 18-year-old woman.
The official said five civilians received bullet injuries in the cross-firing near the gunfight site.
The policemen were abducted nearly three weeks after terrorists had abducted relatives of policemen from various places in south Kashmir on August 30.
An SIT has been formed to probe the killing.
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