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Villagers walk past the debris of a destroyed house after a gunbattle between security forces and militants at Pinglish area of Tral in Pulwama district of South Kashmir, Monday, March 11, 2019. According to the officials, the mastermind of the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, in which 40 CRPF personnel had died, has been killed in an encounter in south Kashmir's Tral area. ( PTI Photo/S Irfan)[/caption]
Srinagar, March 11 (IANS): One of the two Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants killed by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district was on Monday identified as one of the key conspirators behind the horrific suicide bombing that killed 40 CRPF troopers.
Mudasir Khan alias Muhammad Bhai from Midoora village in Tral area was one of the two men killed in a gun battle in Pinglish village, police said. The other militant was said to be a Pakistani code-named Khalid.
Mudasir Khan was described as one of those who planned the February 14 terror attack on the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) envoy, triggering major India-Pakistan tensions.
"Pertinently, investigation so far conducted revealed that Mudasir was one of the key conspirators of the Pulwama attack," a police statement said.
"Based on incriminating material recovered from the site of the encounter, it is understood that the other killed terrorist was a Pakistani national code-named Khalid," it added.
A search was on in the area by the security forces.
According to police records, both the slain terrorists were affiliated with the outlawed JeM and were wanted for a series of crimes including attacks on security establishments and atrocities on civilians.
The family of Mudasir Khan identified his body.
The house in which the militants were hiding was destroyed in the operation by the security forces.
The Army said three militants were killed. The police have recovered only two bodies.
The Pakistan-based JeM claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing in Pulwama.