Army vehicle torched
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Jan 8: A Pakistani militant of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) was killed in a brief shootout at Litter area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district today while protesters torched an Army vehicle.
The shootout took place after militants this morning attacked an Army patrolling party of 55 RR in Chowduribagh area of Tral. The Army fired back at the militants triggering a gun battle in which one militant was killed. However, his accomplices fled away and security forces cordoned off the area but they had managed to flee.
The killed militant has been identified as Nasir Bhai of Pakistan. Nasir was affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit and was active in Pulwama district since last several years. “He was involved in a number of militant attacks and grenade throwing incidents on forces,” a police official said.
A police spokesman said that incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militant. “Notably no collateral damage took place during the incident amidst reports of some firing on the security forces for a nearby area was received when the encounter was in progress”.
Police has registered a case in the matter and investigation is being initiated.
Following the killing of the militant, protests broke out as youth took to streets and pelted stones on security forces who fired tear smoke shells and pellets triggering clashes.
A youth suffered pellet injuries in his eyes during clashes near Bus Stand in Tral. The injured was shifted to SDH Tral.
The protesters also torched a Tata Mobile load carrier near the site of a shootout which belonged to the Army. However, no one was present in the vehicle when it was torched.
This year four militants were killed in Kashmir so far and all of them in Tral area of Pulwama district. Last year a record number of 245 militants were killed by the security forces which is highest in over a decade.
And Army’s sentry fired several shots in the air after noticing suspicious movement outside an Army camp in Tral area this evening.
Police said that the sentry fired few shots after noticing suspicious movement near Army’s 42 unit at Lurgam village. He said that searches were soon launched in the area but the militants were not found.
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