Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, July 10: Two militants and an 18-year-old youth were killed and over 50 civilians injured in an encounter and clashes with security forces at Kundallan village of South Kashmir’s Shopian district today.
Two soldiers including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) were injured during the initial encounter and were taken to Military Hospital Badamibagh, Srinagar.
Tamsheel Ahmad Khan, 18, son of Khursheed Ahmad Khan of Vehil, Kachdora was critically wounded in his head during the clashes with security forces near the site.
Khan was shifted to District Hospital Shopian where from he along with seven other persons having bullet injuries were referred to different hospitals in Srinagar.
Khan was taken to SMHS hospital here where doctors declared him dead on arrival, they said.
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Over 50 protesters, seven of them with bullets and others with pellets and teargas shelling were injured during clashes near the encounter site.
Thousands of people including men, women and youth shouted slogans while the local militant Sameer and the civilian Tamsheel Ahmad Khan was being taken for last rites.
A spontaneous shutdown was observed in Shopian and its adjoining areas. All business establishments were closed while as transport remained off the roads.
The encounter started after the joint team of Army, SOG and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in the area.
A police spokesman said that pursuing credible leads regarding the presence of militants in Kundallan village, a joint patrol of the security forces launched searches in area during the wee hours today.
“As the searches were going on, the militants hiding inside the house fired upon the search party leading to an encounter. Some of the civilians in the nearby houses were quickly evacuated by the security forces,” the spokesman said.
During the encounter both the hiding militants were killed and have been identified as Sameer Ahmad Sheikh son of Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh, resident of Rawalpora Shopian and Babar from Pakistan. They were affiliated with JeM outfit, the spokesman said.
“Sameer, the local militant was a school dropout and had joined the outfit JeM after he was reported missing from his home since April 2018”, the spokesman said.
“On the basis of documents available, the other militant has been identified as Babar, a JeM commander of Pakistan origin. They were involved in many attacks on the security establishments and civilian atrocities,” the spokesman claimed.
“Some civilians were also injured in cross firing at the site of encounter who were later evacuated to the hospital for medical attention. One of the injured persons later succumbed to his injuries while the other injured are stated to be stable now”, the spokesman said.
“Police have registered a case and investigation has been initiated in the instant matter”, he said.
And in the meantime, father of a militant died due to cardiac arrest soon after hearing rumours about his son getting trapped in an encounter.
Mohammad Ishaq Naikoo, father of Zeenat Naikoo, who joined militant ranks some two months back, suffered massive heart stroke soon after hearing rumours that his son has been trapped in the cordon and search operation leading to the gunfight.
Naikoo, a resident of Memander village was shifted to district hospital Shopian where doctors declared him as brought dead.
And a student of class 11th, who was injured critically in security forces firing at Nadihal area of Sopore in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district last month, succumbed to injuries at a hospital here.
Ubaid Manzoor Lone son of Manzoor Ahmad breathed his last at the SKIMS hospital here after battling for life for 15 days.
On June 25, Ubaid, a class 11th student, had suffered a critical bullet wound in his right thigh after BSF troopers of 149 battalion opened fire upon a group of students during protest.
As soon as his body reached Nadihal, people in thousands started reaching there to take part in his last rites and offered condolences to the bereaved family.
The separatists have called strike in Kashmir for tomorrow against killing of a civilian and injuries to 50 others in an encounter in Shopian.
And Railway authorities have decided to suspend train services in Kashmir on Wednesday in wake of the strike call. The decision to suspend train service has been taken as a precautionary measure in wake of apprehension of law and order.
Militants this evening managed to escape from security cordon in the forest area of Kandi village in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
Troops of 47 RR fired upon a group of militants in the forest area of Sadu Ganga adjacent to Saderpora in Kandi village at around 5:05 pm after they spotted them. However, the militants managed to escape.
Massive search operation has been launched and reinforcements sent to the area to trace out the militant group.
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