Two militants were killed in an ongoing gunfight with forces in Warpora village in northern Sopore area, the army said on Friday.
A Srinagar-based army spokesman, colonel Rajesh Kalia said:”A total of two militants were killed in this (Warpora) operation, which isstill continuing”.
He said in the past 36 hours, eight militants were killed infour separate operations in Kashmir.
Two militants were killed in Baramulla gunfight Thursday,while two were killed at Hajin area in Bandipora on Friday and two more werekilled in a Shopian village, Kalia said.
Earlier, exchange of fire between militants and forces inWarpora resumed on Friday morning after the night-long lull, officials said.
Sopore senior superintendent of police Javeed Iqbal said theoperation was halted for the night but firing resumed at the encounter site onFriday morning.
The operation, which entered its second day Friday, is stillunderway and “may take another night to be over”.
The army’s 22 rashtriya rifles, special operations group ofpolice and CRPF had jointly cordoned off Warpora following “inputs” aboutpresence of militants, in the wee hours of Thursday.
While the forces were in the process of laying siege to thearea, militants fired at the forces and also threw a grenade, resulting ininjuries to station house officer Dangiwacha, Mudasir Geelani, and his personalsecurity officer Javid Ahmad.
The injured were evacuated to a Srinagar health facility forspecialised treatment.
Meanwhile, thousands of people Friday attended the funeralprayers of Jaish-e-Muhammad militant Aamir Rasool Kaboo who was killed, alongwith an associate, in a gunfight in Kalantra Kandi, Kreeri area of Baramulladistrict on Thursday.
Thousands of people from Sopore and its adjoining localitiesassembled at Aamir’s home in Arampora, Sopore on Friday morning for his lastrites, shouting pro-freedom and anti-government slogans. His body had beenbrought home on Thursday night.
After the funeral, local residents clashed with the forcesand pelted them with stones. The forces retaliated with pellets and teargasshells, injuring three youths who were evacuated to hospital.
A complete shutdown was observed across the Sopore town andits adjacent areas on Friday.
Mobile internet continues to remain suspended in Soporesince Thursday morning.
POLICE VERSION ABOUT KALANTARA GUNFIGHT
In a statement about Kalantara Payeen gunfight in Baramulladistrict, police said on Friday: “While one of the two killed militants was identifiedas Aamir Rasool of Sopore and from the incriminating material recovered at thesite of encounter, it is understood that the other killed militant is aPakistani national”.
“According to the police records, both the killed militantswere affiliated with proscribed outfit JeM and were wanted by law for theircomplicity in a series of crimes including attack on security establishmentsand civilian atrocities. They were involved in conspiring and executing manymilitant attacks in the area. Several crime cases were registered against boththe militants,” the statement read.
“Arms and ammunition including AK 47 rifles were recoveredfrom the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in the caserecords for further investigation and to probe their complicity in othercases,” the statement read.
“Citizens are once again requested not to venture inside theencounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosivematerials. People are requested to cooperate with police till the area iscompletely sanitized and cleared of all the explosives materials if any”.