Srinagar: Two Jaish-e-Mohammad militants, including a Pakistani commander of the group being investigated for his role in the February 14 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) bombing, and an Army major were among the seven people killed in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Monday, officials said.

The gun battle took place in Pulwama’s Pinglan area, about 12 km from the spot where a suicide bomber from the Jaish-e-Mohammed drove his explosives-laden vehicle into a CRPF bus last week, killing 40 jawans and critically wounding five.

The encounter claimed the lives four Army personnel, two Jaish-e-Mohammed members and a civilian, officials said.

The slain militants were identified as Kamran, a Pakistani national and top commander of the Jaish, and Hilal Ahmad, a local recruited by the group, they said.

“Kamran’s role in the February 14 suicide bombing of a CRPF convoy was under the scanner of investigators,” a senior police official said.

The slain soldiers are Major V.S. Dhondial, Havaldar Sheo Ram and sepoys Hari Singh and Ajay Kumar.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation during the night after receiving inputs about the presence of militants in the area, a police official recounted.

Militants fired at forces as the searches got under way, triggering a gun battle, officials said.

The Jaish has claimed responsibility for the February 14 terror attack that targeted a convoy of 78 vehicles on its way from Jammu to Srinagar. About 2,500 CRPF personnel were on their way to the Valley, many returning to work after leave.