A Jaish-e-Muhammad militant from Pakistan was killed in a brief encounter with security forces at Kralpora, Chakpora, in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district Friday morning, police said. Intense clashes were witnessed near the encounter site as local youths threw stones on the security forces in a bid to help the trapped militant escape. The security forces fired bullets and pellets resulting in injuries to several youths, one among them received a bullet in his belly.
A police official said that acting on a specific tip-off, ajoint operation as launched by Army, Police and CRPF in Kralpora.
“As the forces zeroed-in on the suspected house where themilitant was hiding, he opened indiscriminate firing at the security forcestriggering an encounter. In the ensuing gun-battle, a militant was killed,” thepolice official said.
He said the militant was Zarar, a resident of Pakistan,affiliated with Jaish-e-Muhammad.
Local youths engaged the security forces in intense clashesclose to the encounter spot. Eye-witnesses said that several youths sustainedpellet injuries while a youth identified as Shabir Ahmed, a resident ofChakpora, Kanipora, was hit by a bullet in his abdomen. “He was referred toSMHS Hospital Srinagar where his condition is stated to be critical,” theysaid.
The witnesses said that many youths tried to disrupt theoperation by stone pelting on security forces in Nowgam, Kanipora,Bagat-e-Kanipora and Chakpora.
“Security forces fired live ammunition including bullets andpellets in which a youth sustained bullet injury in his abdomen,” they said.
The authorities snapped mobile internet services in Budgamdistrict.