Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, June 16: In one of the major militant strikes against police, six cops including Station House Officer of Achabal Police Station was killed in South Kashmir district of Anantnag this evening while a fierce gun battle that raged this morning in Kulgam district after security trapped three Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants ended tonight.
A group of at least 10 militants this evening laid an ambush on a police party at village Thajwara in Achabal Anantnag. They surrounded the police party and opened fire from all directions at their vehicle killing 6 police men including SHO. Two civilians were also injured in the attack.
The SHO killed has been identified as Feroze Ahmed Dar, a resident of Dogripora area in Awantipora in Pulwama district. The others have been identified as Constable Shariq Ahmad, Constable Tasveer Ahmad, Constable Shiraz Ahmad, SPO Mohammad Asif, SPO Sabzar Ahmad.
Sources said that the militants were waiting at Kulgad on Anantnag-Achabal road and when the SHO along with his men reached on the spot they opened fire at their vehicle killing them on the spot. They also snatched 5 AK-47 rifles and ammunition from the dead cops.
The SHO, who was on law and order duty during the day in Anantnag, was returning to police station when their vehicle was ambushed by militants. Militants had partially blocked the road and when the vehicle slowed down, they attacked it.
Militants fled from the scene after carrying out the attack leaving the cops in a pool of blood. A police party reached the spot after half an hour.
Army, Police and CRPF cordoned off the area immediately and launched massive manhunt for the assailants. However, militants had escaped from the scene.
Sources said that the security forces had inputs that the LeT are planning to carry out militant strike in Anantnag. Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) has claimed responsibility for attack.
The militants disfigured the faces of the six cops in the attack before walking away with their weapons, police said.
Earlier, in the morning, a joint team of security forces surrounded two houses in Arwani village of Kulgam district. When the security forces closed in on the hiding militants, they were fired upon by the militants, triggering an exchange.
The security forces had inputs about presence of three militants in the village including a top commander of LeT Junaid Matoo. The encounter continued throughout the day and firing ended this evening. During the search of the debris one dead body was recovered so far. However, he has not been identified yet.
Scores of people also received injuries during the clashes near the encounter site in Arwani. A 22-year-old youth identified as Mohammad Ashraf, resident of Kharpora, received a bullet injury in his abdomen during the clashes near the encounter site in Arwani. He was shifted to the District Hospital Anantnag where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
A youth who had received severe bullet injuries in Rangreth area on last evening during protests succumbed to his injuries today. The deceased youth, identified as Naseer Ahmad, was a resident of Ashtengo village in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
Doctors said that Ahmad was hit by a bullet in left side of chest after forces opened fire to disperse stone-throwing youth in Rangreth in Budgam district. He was rushed to SKIMS Medical College Hospital Bemina where from he was referred to SKIMS, Soura.
Dozens of persons were injured in parts of Kashmir during massive stone-throwing clashes before and after Friday prayers.
Scores of youths in Pampore area of Pulwama district took to streets and pelted stones on police and paramilitary. Police resorted to pellet firing and intense teargas shelling to disperse the rock-throwing protests. Amid clashes, a complete shutdown was observed in the area. Three persons sustained injuries during clashes at Pampore and they were shifted to hospital.
A spontaneous shutdown was also observed by people in Bijbehara Town of Anantnag district but there were no clashes. Meanwhile, the clashes also raged in Main Town of Pulwama district after Friday prayers. Large number of youths converged in Main Town and resorted to heavy stone-pelting on security personnel deployed. Police resorted to teargas shelling in the area to contain the stone-pelting clashes. The clashes affected the routine commercial and transport activities in the area.
Clashes also broke out in Kakapora area of the Pulwama district. Police in Main Town of Anantnag district used force to break up a protest after which stone-pelting clashes erupted. The clashes continued for nearly an hour but concluded without any major injury to anyone. In Tral Town of Pulwama district, groups of youth resorted to stone-pelting on security forces and enforced a shutdown against the Arwani killings.
In Srinagar, clashes between youth and security forces broke out near Jama Masjid in Nowhatta area after culmination of Friday prayers. Scores of youth resorted to heavy stone-pelting on police and paramilitary in the area while police responded by lobbing dozens of teargas shells. The clashes in Nowhatta area continued for several hours and later spilled over to Rajouri Kadal and Saraf Kadal neighborhoods. One youth was detained by police while he was pelting stones.
Although the situation was largely peaceful in North Kashmir but clashes between youth and security forces broke out at Hajin and Papchan areas of Bandipora district. While there was low-intensity stone-pelting at Papchan but intense clashes rocked Hajin town and police used teargas shells on stone-throwers. The clashes between youth and security forces also erupted at Sopore town of Baramulla district after Friday prayers. No one was reported injured in the clashes in Sopore and Bandipora areas.
In view of deteriorating situation in South Kashmir, the telecom companies on the directions of police snapped high speed mobile data across Kashmir while the authorities suspended Banihal-Baramulla rail service. Kashmir University also suspended all the examinations which were scheduled to be held tomorrow on Saturday.
Separatists today called for a shutdown tomorrow in Valley against Arwani killings. In the wake of shutdown call by separatists, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Dr Farooq Ahmad Lone said the restrictions under Section 144 will be imposed in Khanyar, Rainawari, Nowhatta, Safakadal and MR Gunj police station areas of Srinagar tomorrow on June 17.
Meanwhile, two youths were injured in Army firing after they allegedly didn’t stop at a checkpoint in Bandipora district of North Kashmir today.
Locals said that Army opened fire on a car near Chek Reshipora area of Bandipora today. “Two youths were injured in the firing. The Army signaled them to stop but they didn’t and were ultimately fired upon,” they said, adding that both of them sustained bullet wounds and were shifted to nearby hospital from where they were referred to Srinagar.
The injured youth have been identified as Muzaffar Ahmad and Fayaz Ahmad Haji. According to locals, they were going to offer prayers. Sources said the police were not present at the checkpoint established by the Army. Meanwhile, police have registered a case under FIR number 82/2017 under Section 307 (attempt to murder) against the army and initiated further investigation.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti has expressed deep anguish over the killing of two civilians and six policemen across Kashmir valley during the past 24 hours.
The Chief Minister said she has reiterated it time and again that violence and innocent killings would lead the State only to a cobweb bloodletting and destruction and uncertainty rather than paving the way for any peaceful solution.
Mehbooba said she has been warning of the dangerous consequences of violence time and again and appealed the civil society to rise to the occasion to make the future of J&K’s younger generation peaceful.
She conveyed her sympathies to the bereaved families.
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