Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Mar 9: Three militants and two civilians were killed in two separate gun battles and protests in Kashmir today while scores of protesters were injured in the clashes with security forces that broke out during and after gunbattle in Pulwama.
Two militants and one civilian were killed in a fierce gun battle that broke out at Padgampura village of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district this morning while scores of civilians were injured in clashes during and after the gunfight.
A civilian, who locals said, got suffocated during teargas shelling on protesters, also died in protests that broke out after the encounter.
Earlier in the morning, acting on specific information regarding the presence of militants in Padgampora village, a cordon and search operation was launched by Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police Srinagar (CARGO), SOG Pulwama and 55 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) of Army. During the search operation, militants present in the area fired on the search party and they retaliated, leading to a gun battle.
Police said that two militants identified as Mohammad Shafi Wagay alias Ehsan and Jahangir Ahmad Ganie alias Safi-ullah, of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) were killed in the encounter. Police tried to persuade Mohammad Shafi for surrender though his wife and daughter but he turned down the offer.
Police said that these militants were involved in militant violence including killing of security force personnel and political activists, grenade attacks on security forces and police installations in South Kashmir.
A Police official said that they were also involved in threatening to general masses to refrain from forthcoming elections and motivating youth to join militant ranks in Awantipora, Pulwama and Shopian. Police also claimed that they were also involved in recent bank robberies and weapon snatching incidents in South and Central Kashmir.
And as the gun battle started in the area, hundreds of local residents rushed to the encounter site and pelted stones on police and Army who had engagned militants in a gun battle. Police fired teargas on protesters and used pellets to quell the protests.
Police also fired on the protesters during which at least nine civilians sustained injuries and one of them identified as 15-year old Amir Nazir of Begumbagh, Pulwama later succumbed. The killing resulted in more protests.
One more civilian identified as Jalal-ud-Din also lost his life. Although doctors at Pulwama district hospital denied any injury marks on his body and said he died of heart attack but locals said that he collapsed during stone-pelting and died of teargas canister suffocation. Police, however, said that they have registered a case and are investigating his death.
A complete shutdown was observed in Tral, Pulwama town, Awantipora and Pampore areas of South Kashmir and clashes also took place at several places. The Banihal-Baramulla train service was suspended by authorities due to violence in the area.
DIG South Kashmir, SP Pani, told reporters that the security forces were fired upon by militants who were present among protesters. “In the firing, two of our security men were injured and they have been hospitalized. However, both are stable,” he said, adding that one civilian present among protesters was also killed in the firing. He said 13 persons were injured in the clashes and denied any link of Jalal-ud-Din’s death with the protests.
A police spokesman said here that acting on a specific input, regarding the presence of militants in Padgampora area of Awantipora, a cordon and search operation was launched by Awantipora Police, 130 Bn CRPF and 55-RR. “During the search operation militants hiding in the area fired upon the search party”, he added.
“Since one of the militants was Mohammad Shafi of Banderpora Pulwama belonging to LeT, his family was brought and repeated announcements were made for the surrender of the said militants. However, it did not yield any result and hiding militants kept on firing on the forces. Both the militants were killed in this encounter”, the spokesman said.
“A crowd of people from the village and from the villages near the encounter site gathered, pelted stones and made attempts to reach the encounter site. Police handled the situation with due care and diligence. However, from the crowd there were firing in which two Police officials Khalid Ahmad (No. 598/Awt) and SPO Manzoor Ahmad received bullet injuries. Both the injured were shifted to 92- Base hospital and District Hospital Pulwama respectively for treatment”, the spokesman added.
He said that one person identified as Amir Nazir Wani resident of Begumbagh was injured after being hit by a stray bullet and succumbed to his injuries. “Another person was brought dead to District Hospital Pulwama, whose medical examination by the doctors has revealed that he had no external injury on his body”, the official said.
“X-Ray and other radiology tests could not find any bullet or pellet wound on his body. A separate inquest proceeding has been initiated in this connection”, the official said.
In the meantime, a militant was killed and an army major injured in a shootout near Police Station in Bandipora in Northern Kashmir this evening.
A joint team of army and SOG had laid a naka following specific inputs about the movement of militants. A militant who was travelling in a vehicle opened fire on Army in which Army Major of 14 RR was injured.
“In the retaliatory fire, the militant was gunned down. He has been identified as Mushtaq Ahmad Seergojri of Malangam village Bandipora and he was affiliated with Hizbul Mujahideen. One pistol and a grenade were recovered from his possession.
The authorities this evening placed separatist leaders under house arrest following a strike called by them against the killing of civilians.
Hurriyat Conference (G) leaders including Shabir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Ayaz Akbar, Raja Mehrajudin, Mohd Ashraf Laaya and Umer Adil Dar were placed under house arrest. Security has also been intensified to prevent voilence in Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti has expressed deep anguish and grief over the killing of a 15 year old Amir Nazir in Padgampora village of Pulwama district today.
Extending her sympathies to the bereaved, the Chief Minister said it was highly unfortunate that youth are caught in the vicious cycle of violence in the State which has consumed so many precious lives and left behind a trail of death and destruction.
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