PULWAMA: Security forces on Monday killed the nephew of

, and two other terrorists from Jaish-e-Mohammad (

), in an encounter in

's

, acknowledged a spokesman of the terror outfit, reported ANI.

Army chief Bipin Rawat said Jaish's acknowledgement is proof of terror emanating from Pakistan.

"This makes it clear that

," said Rawat.

He added that it's of little concern to him that the nephew of the Pathankot attack mastermind was killed.

"Doesn't matter if he is

's nephew or anyone else, we aim at neutralizing all terrorists no matter where they belong," said Rawat.

Jammu and Kashmir Police said JeM's acknowledgement is a first.

"(This is the) first time they owned a Pak terrorist, that he is nephew of Masood Azhar. We'll ask them to collect body because they owned it," said Muneer Khan, Kashmir's inspector general of police.

Troops of 182 and 183 battalions of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 44 Rashtriya Rifles and the Jammu and Kashmir Police were carrying out a cordon and search operation in the region, when the encounter broke out.

"It was an excellent operation, nicely coordinated between police, Army and CRPF," said Khan.

One jawan, Lance Naik Vrahma Pal Singh, was martyred in Monday's encounter. A civilian was also injured in the gunfight. Two AK-47s and an M4 Carbine were recovered from the site of the encounter.

Earlier, a JeM spokesman confirmed the killings.

"Three militants killed during an encounter at Kandi Aglar village of Pulwama district includes nephew of Jaish-e-Muhammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar and outfit's divisional commander," a JeM spokesman said in a statement, adding that Azhar's nephew, Talha Rasheed, was a JeM commander.

The terror outfit's spokesman said the two other terrorists who were killed in the encounter include Muhammad Bhai, a non-local, and Waseem, a resident of Drubgam, Pulwama.

(With inputs from ANI)