Srinagar/Baramulla, Jun 29: Three militants were today killed down in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district while a youth died in clashes between stone-pelters and government forces near the encounter site, a police official said.
Police, Army and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in Thumna village after getting information about the presence of militants there, a police official said.
He said three militants were holed up inside a house. Though the armed forces managed to pinpoint the location of the militants but the operation had to be delayed due to the presence of civilians in the house, he said.
A gunfight that broke out between the forces and the militants after all the civilians were evacuated, ended up with the killing of three militants, the official said. He said identity of the slain militants was yet to be ascertained.
Meanwhile, a mob started hurling stones at the government forces involved in the anti-militancy operation, police said.
At least eight people received pellet or bullet injuries in the forces’ action against the protestors, a police official said.
Among the injured, 16-year-old Faizaan Ahmad Khan, son of Dr. Abdul Gani Khan, Khrew Pampore received bullet injury in the abdomen and was shifted to District Hospital Pulwama where he was declared dead by doctors.
Faizan, according to the officials, was putting up presently at Government Quarters in Pulwama town.
Seven other civilians were also injured during the clashes, and one of them who also sustained a gunshot injury has been brought to the Bone and Joints Hospital in Srinagar for treatment.
Meanwhile, Chief Lashkar-e-Taiba has identified the slain militants as Lashkar Commander Abu Hanzala Firdos, Abu Mansoor Sajjad and Abu Tayyab Bilal.
LeT chief, Mahmood Shah in a statement said that the sacrifices of martyrs will pave way for the freedom, bringing utter defeat to Indian forces.
Meanwhile, an unidentified militant believed to foreigner was killed in a gunfight in forests of Kachama in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Friday.
A top police official said that forces launched a search operation in the Tunga Top, the upper belt of Kachama forests of Kupwara, following information about the presence of militants in the forest area.
The official said that the Army patrol noticed the movement of some militants in the forests in the wee hours today, following which troops challenged them. In the ensuing encounter a militant was killed.
“The body of the unidentified militant was recovered by the search party long with an AK-rifle in the area. Identity of the slain militant, believed to be a foreigner, is being ascertained,” the official added.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kupwara Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar confirmed the killing of the militant.
“One militant whose identity is yet to be known was killed in the gunfight with Army in Kachama forests,” he said.
Defense spokesman Colonel Brajesh Kalia said, “It was a specific operation based on intelligence inputs and one militant was killed and the operation is now over.”
3 Army-men injured in grenade attack
Srinagar, Jun 29: Three Army-men were injured today when militants attacked their patrol party in Shopian district of south Kashmir, police said.
Militants lobbed a grenade on a group of Army personnel when they were busy opening the Good Will Public School in Ahagam area of Keegam village in Shopian this morning followed by firing on Army personnel, a police spokesman said here.
He said in the incident, three Army personnel sustained injuries and were subsequently evacuated to a hospital. Their condition is stated to be stable.
He said the “Army personnel exercised maximum restraint to avoid any damage to the civil population and students around.”
Police have registered a case and searches to nab the militants have been initiated in the area, the spokesman said.
