15 injured in clashes, militant arrested
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Sept 27: A top commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) was among three militants, an Army man, a Border Roads Organization (BRO) labourer and a civilian killed in four separate operations in Kashmir today.
Security forces in the wee hours today launched a search operation at Gazi Gund Dooru in district Anantnag after inputs about presence of militants in the village.
As the security forces conducted searches in the village, militants fired at them. The security forces retaliated leading to an encounter in which one militant identified as LeT commander, Asif Malik, was killed. One Army personnel Happy Singh was killed and another Army man was injured in the encounter.
Police said that he was involved in several attacks on security forces including the killing of CRPF men at Achabal this year and in many other cases of civilian atrocities. “One security force jawan identified as Happy Singh of 19 RR also attained martyrdom in the encounter”, police said.
Police said that incriminating material including arms and ammunition was recovered from the site of encounter.
Clashes erupted between youth and security forces during the encounter, which resulted in injuries to scores of people, who were either treated locally or shifted to hospitals for treatment.
In another encounter at Panzan area of Chadoora in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district, two militants of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen were killed today.
Security forces this morning cordoned off Panzan village in Budgam district after inputs about presence of two militants in the village. The militants were hiding in the Masjid when they engaged by security forces in the gunfight.
The two militants who were killed in several hours of gun battle have been identified as Sheeraz Ahmad Bhat resident of Kralwari Chadoora and Irfan Ahmad Dar resident of Kakapora Pulwama. Irfan Ahmad Dar was working as SPO and had deserted a couple of months ago.
Police said that the encounter broke out after the militants fired upon a search party from a Masjid of the village.”The local Auqaf Committee was engaged to convince the militants to come out. Forces also appealed them to come out, but, the militants refused the offer and consequently the operation had to be carried out in a deliberate manner keeping intact the sanctity of the Masjid,” police said.
One Army personnel was injured in the encounter and was evacuated to hospital for medical treatment.
Clashes also broke out in Panzan area during which security forces used tear gas canisters to disperse the stone throwing youth. They also fired pellets as the clashes intensified.
A civilian, Saleem Malik son of Mohammad Yaqoob Malik, was killed in Noor Bagh area of Srinagar in the wee hours today. Security forces on a specific input about presence of militants in the area cordoned a cluster of houses.
Malik’s uncle Ghulam Mohammad said that around 3:45 am, the Police and CRPF cordoned off the locality and raided a few houses in search of militants. “My nephew was woken up by some noise. He thought burglars have struck the shed to steal his sheep. As soon as he stepped out, the security forces fired a volley of bullets at him killing him on the spot. Over 20 bullets were fired at him,” he said.
Malik, 26, was the youngest among the four siblings, including two sisters. His father runs a barbeque shop in the locality while mother is a housewife.
However, a Police spokesman said: “Security forces acting on a credible input cordoned a cluster of houses where the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately resulting in death of an individual identified as Saleem Malik son of Mohammad Yaqoob Malik. Police has initiated investigation in all the cases”.
Thousands of people attended the funeral prayers of Malik who was buried at Eidgah graveyard. Authorities imposed restrictions in Srinagar areas following the operation in Noor Bagh area.
Police and paramilitary troopers were deployed on roads in strength who had erected temporary barricades, thus halting the vehicular as well as pedestrian movement. Authorities also snapped the mobile internet services in Srinagar, Budgam and Anantnag districts in the wee hours of this morning. However, they were restored in the evening.
As soon as the operations were over in Srinagar and Chadoora area of Budgam, eight persons with pellet injuries were admitted to hospital in Srinagar. All the nine have been admitted in the hospital with pellet injuries.
A non-local labourer working with Border Roads Organization was killed in an Army ambush in Kupwara last night.
Army’s 3 JAK Li had laid ambush at Doninar area of Rangwar in Kralpora in Kupwara district last night. They saw a man walking in the area and signaled him to stop but he hid behind the bushes and was fired at by army, killing him on the spot. He has been identified as Umesh of Tamil Nadu. Police have registered a case and are investigating the incident.
A minor boy was injured in a mysterious blast in Yamran Bomai area of Sopore in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district today. Few children were playing near a school building when a blast happened in which a minor, Aqib Javeed, a resident of Yamran Bomai, was injured. He was rushed to a local hospital for treatment.
And separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik condemned the killing of man in Noorbagh area of Srinagar and called for a complete shutdown and protests on September 28 (Friday).
Security forces apprehended one militant identified as Arif Hussain Lone son of Abdul Gani Lone of Nowpora Jageer in Sopore area of North Kashmir today. One pistol was recovered from his possession. Police have registered a case.
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