Protester killed in pellet firing
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Aug 9: Three militants of Zakir Musa group were killed in a brief gunfight in Tral area of Pulwama district in South Kashmir this afternoon while a protester was killed during protests in pellet firing by security forces.
Sources said that a group of militants belonging to Zakir Musa group were taking bath in a local stream in Gulab Bagh Tral and were zeroed in by security forces. Security forces opened fire on them killing two of them on the spot while others fled. One of the militants was killed inside the village.
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They have been identified as Zahid Ahmad Bhat resident of Nowdal Tral, Mohammad Ishaq Bhat resident of Batagund Tral and Mohammad Ashraf Dar resident of Baghi Trich, Pulwama. Two AK 47 rifles and one pistol were seized from the encounter site.
Protests broke out during the operations and security forces fired teargas and pellets to disperse the protesters during which a 16-year old boy, Mohammad Younis of Saimoh Tral, was killed.
Hundreds of people staged violent protests at Gulab Bagh during the operation. They clashed with security forces and the forces retaliated by firing teargas and pellets during which the boy was critically injured due to pellets.
He was removed to nearby hospital where from he was referred to SMHS Hospital. However, doctors at the SMHS declared him brought dead.
The boy was later taken to Tral where thousands of people staged protests in various villages. Protests raged at Pulwama Town and Police fired teargas on protesters.
After the gunfight raged, Internet and voice call services in whole of Pulwama district were shut by authorities.
All educational institutes shall remain closed in Pulwama district tomorrow, according to district administration. The clashes also raged at Pampore area of the district where forces resorted to aerial firing. In Qoimoh area of Kulgam district, security forces fired in air after locals clashed with them during a raid on a hospital.
A police spokesman said that three militants of Zakir Musa’s group were killed in a gunfight that broke out between security forces and militants in Gulab Bagh village of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district today.
He said Awantipora Police along with 42 RR of Army and 180 battalion of CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in Gulab Bagh area of Tral in Pulwama after receiving specific inputs about presence of militants there.
“As the forces were conducting the search operation, the hiding militants fired upon them. The security forces retaliated, leading to an encounter. During encounter, three militants of Zakir Musa’s group were eliminated.
Police said that after encounter a huge mob pelted stones upon a camp. “During law and order situation, one person sustained pellet injuries and later succumbed to his injuries”, he said.
The police spokesman said that Mohammad Ishaq Bhat was involved in firing upon police personnel Head Constable Abdul Gani Bhat resulting in grievous injuries to him.
“He was also involved in thrashing and torturing of some SPOs on gunpoint and circulated the same on social media. Zahid Rashid Bhat was involved in hurling grenade on CRPF Nafri which resulted in injuries to one CRPF personnel. Both Ishaq and Zahid were also involved in firing incident at Tral-i-Payeen Bazaar resulting in injuries to 3 persons and firing incident at T-Chowk, Tral. They were also involved in various grenade attacks in South Kashmir”, police said.
And in the meantime, Army said that five militants who were killed while attempting to intrude two days ago in Machil sector of Kupwara district were heavily armed and prepared to undertake prolonged operations.
Briefing reporters about the operation during a press conference today, Brigadier RK Suresh of Machil Brigade said on the night of 6th August, Army’s surveillance detachments identified an intrusion by five intruders from across the Line of Control. “These intruders took advantage of dense folly edge of the forest hugging onto the mountain side in the (Machil) sector and quietly melted out. We immediately carried out an operation basically to detect and eliminate these terrorists. Through the night of 6th August, somewhere about 1500 hours on the 7th, our interaction teams made the contacts with the terrorists,” he said.
On being challenged, the Brigadier said, they responded with heavy automatic fire on to the troops and “our boys were ready and over the next three hours in the encounter that ensued, all five were eliminated”.
He said that the militants were heavily armed with AK-47 rifles, a large quantum of ammunition bulk of which was expended “on own as troops as well”, under barrel grenade launchers, multiple ammunition of grenades and other war-like stores.
“They were also prepared to undertake prolonged operations. In the end, they were carrying good quantity of rations, medicines which have a lot of Pakistani markings,” the Brigadier said. He said that the troops carried out their operations efficiently with speed without any casualties.
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