2 militants killed in Shopian gunfight

Two Lashker-e-Toiba militants were killed in a fire fight with the security forces at a village in south Kashmir’s Shopian district in the small hours on Sunday. At least six civilians suffered injuries during the clashes that broke out around the gun battle site.

This is the second gunfight in the district over past 48hours.

   

The slain militants were identified as Javaid Ahmad Bhat sonof Ali Mohammad Bhat of Redwani, Qaimoh, Kulgam, and Aadil Bashir Wani son ofBashir Ahmad Wani of Waripora-DH Pora, Kulgam.

While Aadil had joined militancy last week, Javed had beenactive since July 7, 2017, police said.

A police official told Greater Kashmir that a joint team ofarmy’s 34 RR and SOG men surrounded HendSitapora village on the edge of Shopiandistrict following the “definite information” about the presence of themilitants in the area.

The official said that as “the meticulously planned searchoperation was in progress”, militants hiding in the area opened fire on theforces at around 3:40 am.

“The forces returned the fire leading to a gun battlewhich ended with the killing of the two militants,” he said.

A police spokesperson in a statement said that both theslain militants were “wanted by law” for their “complicity in a series of attackson security establishments and civilian atrocities”.

The spokesperson said that Javaid was also responsible forrecruiting youth from adjoining areas of Kulgam for proscribed militant outfit.

“Similarly Adil was involved in several attacks andseveral cases were registered against him,” the spokesperson said. He saidthat incriminating material including arms and ammunition were recovered fromthe site.

CLASHES

“As the operation was in progress, some people nearedthe gun battle site and threw rocks on the forces in a bid to stymie theoperation”, another police official said, adding that the forces firedpellets and smoke shells in response, which caused injuries to some of them.

A health official at district hospital Kulgam said that theyreceived five persons with pellet injuries at the facility.

“Of them, four were hit in their eyes and they weresent to SMHS in Srinagar for advanced treatment,” he said.

Some youth also pelted forces with stones near GoleChakri,Shopian after the fire-fight ended. The forces fired tear smoke shells andpellets which resulted in the injury of one person.

“With his back suffused with blood, he was evacuated tosub district hospital Shopian for treatment,” an eyewitness said.

Later in the afternoon, the bodies of both the slainmilitants were handed over to their families.

Local residents told Greater Kashmir that a large number ofmourners converged in the native villages of slain militants and participatedin their last rites. Multiple rounds of funeral prayers, according to theresidents, were held for the militants.

Following the gunfight, authorities in both Shopian andKulgam districts blocked the mobile internet services.

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