Pulwama encounter: Will hand over Masood Azhar's nephew's body to Jaish-e-Mohammad, says J&K Police

Three JeM militants, including the nephew of terror outfit chief Masood Azhar, Talha Rasheed, were killed in an overnight gunfight with security forces in J&K's Pulwama district.

Srinagar: The body of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar's nephew, who was killed in Pulwama encounter Monday night, will be handed over to the terrorist outfit, Jammu and Kashmir Police announced on Tuesday.

“We will ask them (the JeM) to collect the body because they have accepted him as one of their own," Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jammu and Kashmir, Munir Khan said.

Khan's statement comes after three JeM militants, including the nephew of terror outfit chief Masood Azhar, Talha Rasheed, were killed in an overnight gunfight with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.

Earlier in the day, a spokesperson of the terror outfit confirmed that the militants killed during an encounter at Kandi Aglar village of Pulwama district includes nephew of JeM chief and outfit`s divisional commander.

He said the two other terrorists who were killed in the encounter included Divisional Commander Muhammad Bhai and Waseem, a resident of Drubgam, Pulwama.

The troops of 182 Batallion and 183 Batallion Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), along with 44 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and the Jammu and Kashmir Police were carrying out a cordon and search operation in the region, when the encounter broke out.

The joint operation was conducted by CRPF, RR and the Jammu and Kashmir Police in Kandi Aglar village of Pulwama.

Unfortunately, one soldier of 44 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) was martyred and two soldiers and a civilian injured during the operation. The martyred soldier has been identified as Sham Sunder.

"Three weapons, including one AK, one M16 rifle and one pistol, besides ammunition were recovered from the encounter site," said a police spokesman.