Jammu encounter: Truck driver cousin of Pulwama bomber

The driver of the truck transporting three foreign militants which was intercepted by police at Nagrota on the outskirts of Jammu on Friday morning has been identified as Sameer Dar, a cousin of Pulwama attack suicide bomber Adil Dar.

Three Jaish-e-Mohammed militants were killed and a policeman sustained injuries in the encounter after the truck they were travelling in was intercepted by the police at a toll plaza on Jammu-Srinagar national highway.

Three over ground workers of militants including the driver and conductor were also arrested.

The driver was identified as Sameer Ahmed Dar, a resident of Pulwama district of south Kashmir. He is the cousin of Adil Dar, ADG Dilbagh Singh told IANS.

"The terrorists were headed to Kashmir, pobably as a replacement for top leadership of Jaish including its chief Qari Yasir killed by security forces last month," he said. "It was a group of militants that had recently infiltrated from the international border in Jammu."

Sameer has reportedly done a Masters in Geology from Kashmir University.

All the three arrested over ground workers are currently being interrogated.

After the encounter was over a large quantity of arms and ammunition including wireless sets and US-made M4 carbines were recovered from the slain militants.IANS