MUZAFFARABAD, May 3: An army soldier and an alleged dacoit were killed and another soldier was critically injured reportedly in an encounter in Bhimbher district on Thursday, an FIR lodged by an armyman with AJK police said.

According to Subedar Hanif, who lodged the FIR with Barnala police station, he with six army personnel was carrying cash for their unit’s salaries, when three men, wearing black masks, intercepted them near Keri Cross.

“Hawaldar Khazeen and Sepoy Imran, who were in possession of the cash bag, managed to save the money but in the meanwhile, the dacoit hit and injured Sepoy Gul Mohammad with rifle butt and snatched the personal bag of the company commander from him and ran away,” Subedar Hanif stated. He said he also fired upon the dacoits but they escaped. “We informed our high ups, who sent a commando party to hunt down the dacoits. The commandos cordoned off the whole area and came across the dacoits in a jungle near Thub, where exchange of fire took place,” the FIR said.

“Naikh Shiraz Ahmed and sepoy Ansar Mahmood were critically injured by the firing of the dacoit, who was then shot dead on the spot,” the FIR said.

The two injured armymen were removed to the Kharian Combined Military Hospital, where one of them succumbed to his wounds.

Dawn learnt from sources that the alleged dacoit was a Subedar, Salim of Barnala.