Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Apr 25: An Army officer and two militants of Hizbul Mujahideen were killed and an Army jawan critically injured in a fierce gun battle in South Kashmir district of Shopian where a poll official was killed and five others including three police men were injured last evening when a polling party returning from a polling booth to district headquarter was attacked by militants.
The South Kashmir Police Chief, Deputy Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar told Excelsior that three militants were trapped in a house in village Kareva Zora Malu in Shopian district after Army and police cordoned off the village.
Kumar said that police had information about the presence of three militants of Hizbul Mujahideen – Shabir Gorsi, Mohammad Asif and Abdul Haq- hiding in a house. He said that police and Army’s 44 Rashtriya Rifles launched an operation during which militants were trapped in the house.
The DIG said that militants fired upon the troops when they zeroed in the house of Farooq Ahmad Khan of Khan Mohalla, Kareva. The militants returned the fire leading to fierce gun battle in which two militants were killed. The house of Khan was also damaged in the gun battle.
Kumar said that as the entire house was brought down in the gun battle and firing stopped, an Army Major and along with few jawans who went near the debris of the house were fired at by a surviving militant injuring Major and a jawan. He said that Major Mukund Vardarajan of 44 RR of Army later succumbed to his injuries. An Army spokesman said that Major was brought dead to 92-Base Hospital in Srinagar.
Sources said the Army fired motor shells towards the house as the holed up militants were trying to break the cordon but the heavy presence of troops didn’t provide them any chance to flee from the house.
Sources said that Army also used Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to destroy the house and it was presumed that three militants were killed. The Army major along with a solider went near the debris to see the dead bodies but they were fired at by a surviving militant killing the Major and critically injuring a jawan.
Police and Army fired heavily after the killing of Major and the search operation was suspended.
The DIG said that one militant is still alive and cordon has been tightened and searches will be resumed in the morning after the third militant is killed. He said that third militant is still alive.
The clashes between forces and locals erupted near Narpora after people from Drubgam and its adjacent villages tried to march towards the gun battle site after the reports that a local militant from village Drubgam was killed.
Police and Army didn’t allow them to proceed and fired smoke shells to disperse the protesters. They also pelted stones towards the forces.
The DIG said: “We are investigating if it is the same group that attacked a poll party last evening or is it a different group.”
In the meantime, hundreds of people attended last rites of the Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq, the poll official who was killed in militant firing last evening in Shopian. The poll official was laid to rest in his ancestral place at Hirpora, Shopian.
Meanwhile, Shopian observed strike and protests today against the detention of several youth on the charges of stone pelting during past one week. Shops and business establishments remained closed and roads were deserted.
Follow our WhatsApp channel