JeM commander killed in Poonch gunbattle

Jammu:  Joint team of security forces Sunday killed one of the top commanders of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in a fierce gunfight in dense forest area of Bhattidhar in Mendhar tehsil of frontier Poonch district.
According to Agence India Press, “one senior divisional commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad identified as Omar Khitab of Pakistan was killed by the security forces while one trooper identified as Sajjan Kumar received bullet injuries during the gun battle”.
One local militant cadre of JeM identified as Zubair Ahmad of Poonch was later arrested by the police from the site of encounter.
According to police reports, ” on a the basis of a tip off a group of militants were trapped by the joint team of security forces sunday morning during the ongoing search and combing operation in the dense forest belt of Bhatidhar in Poonch district”.
The gunfight erupted between the two sides as militants who had taken shelter inside a hideout opened fire on the security forces to evade arrest.
Massive combing operations were still going on in the area to track down the presence of more militants in the nearby forest area, the police spokesman said.