Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, July 3: Two militants of Hizbul Mujahideen were killed and four security men injured in a fierce encounter between militants and security forces in Pulwama district of South Kashmir today while two dozen persons including security personnel were injured during clashes near the encounter site.
Acting on specific information about presence of a group of militants, police, Army’s 44 RR and 182 battalion of CRPF launched a joint combing and search operation area village Bahmnoo in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district early this morning.
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As the combing operation was going on, militants hiding in a house opened fire from AK-47 rifles towards the security personnel. The fire was returned by the troops, triggering an encounter. The militants kept changing their positions during the firefight.
Two militants were killed in the gunfight so far while at least one militant continued to engage the security personnel in the gunfight. The security personnel fired mortar shells to end the militant’s resistance but the firing was going on.
The security forces blasted off the house in which the militants were trapped in but when they tried to clear the debris and were retrieving the dead bodies of the two militants, they came under fire from adjacent house. The gun battle is on and the operation has been put on hold and will be resumed in the morning.
The killed militants are yet to be identified but sources said that one of them is Kifayat Ahmad Khanday and another Jehangir Ahmad. Kifayat had joined militancy in April this year while Jehangir was active since last year.
Three Army personnel and one CRPF man were injured during the gunfight and have been hospitalized.
As the gunfight started, youth of the area attempted to march towards the encounter site. The youth pelted stones on security personnel, who resorted to baton charge and fired pellets and bullets to disperse the protestors.
At least two dozen persons including security force personnel were injured in the clashes. Two were hit by bullets and were hospitalized. Clashes were reported from several villages of the district and security forces fired tear smoke and pellets to disperse the protesters.
Meanwhile, militants fired on Road Opening Party (ROP) of police near Bus Stand Anantnag in South Kashmir this afternoon. A policeman identified as Ghulam Hassan and a woman sustained injuries in the militant attack, a police spokesman said. The injured policeman was evacuated to Army hospital, where doctors operated him. The doctors attending on him have termed his condition as critical.
A Police spokesman said that militants opened fire near Bus Stand, Anantnag in which a Policeman identified as Sgct. Ghulam Hassan Sheikh son of Ghulam Rasool a resident of Kulan Ganderbal and a woman identified as Samit Kour a resident of Chattisinghpora, Anantnag were injured. The injured were shifted to Hospital for specialised treatment. The policeman injured in the incident was on ROP duty.
“Militants took advantage of busy market and fled away from the spot. Soon after the incident, police and security forces launched the search operation to nab the attackers. Anantnag police has registered a case FIR number 150/2017 in this regard and further investigation has been taken up”, the spokesman said.
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