Suhail A Shah

Two Army men, six militants and a civilian were killed and three others injured in three gunfights between security forces and militants across the Kashmir Valley today.

In the early-morning gunfight in Dalipora area of Pulwama, three militants and a jawan, identified as Sepoy Sandeep Singh of Haryana, were killed. Hours later, another gunfight broke out at Handew village in Shopian where three unidentified militants and a soldier, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, were shot dead.

However, in the third gunbattle, which took place in north Kashmir’s frontier Kupwara district while the Army was patrolling the Kandi forests, no casualty was reported.

In Pulwama, two Army men and a civilian were also injured. The militants killed in the district were identified as Jaish commander and Pakistani national Khalid Bhai, Naseer Ahmad Pandit of Kareemabad in Pulwama, and Umar Mir of Bethipora in Shopian.

Khalid, as per police sources, was active for the past eight years, making him one of the longest-surviving militants in Kashmir. “His killing is a major success,” a police official said.

Kashmir IGP Swayam Prakash Pani said Khalid was a suspect in the December 2017 Lethpora attack.

The militants were reportedly hiding in a house when around midnight the area was cordoned off and they were asked to surrender. “However, the militants chose to fire, which was retaliated by our forces. In this initial exchange of fire, a jawan and a civilian were killed and two jawans and a civilian were injured,” the official said.

The civilians, both sons of house owner Jalal Din Dar in whose house militants were trapped, were identified as Younis Ahmad Dar and Rayees Ahmad Dar. “Rayees succumbed to injuries at a hospital,” the official added.

Meanwhile, clashes erupted around the site of the gunfight early today morning, following which restrictions were imposed across Pulwama town.

Bodies of the local militants were handed over to their families following completion of medico-legal formalities. Thousands of people attended their last rites.

In Shopian, the police said the killed militants were affiliated to Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. The family of one of the deceased, however, claimed he was not a militant. Later, clashes broke out near the encounter site.

PDP worker hurt in Shopian attack succumbs 

• Irfan Ahmad Sheikh, a Peoples Democratic Party worker of Zainapora, Shopian, who was injured in a suspected militant attack on May 8 in south Kashmir, succumbed to injuries on Thursday
• PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti tweeted: “PDP worker Irfan Ahmad all of 21, a first time voter & an upcoming cricketer succumbed to his injuries today. An only son of ailing parents, he supported them by running a pharmacy. Killing someone for their political affiliation is unacceptable. His martyrdom won't be in vain.”

Curfew in doda, man shot by ‘cow vigilante’

• Curfew was imposed in communally sensitive Bhaderwah town of Doda district on Thursday after a man involved in cattle trade was killed by unidentified gunmen
• Naeem Ahmad Shah, 50, was shot dead in Nalthi area of Bhaderwah. Protesters torched vehicles and hurled stones at houses and business establishments even as police and paramilitary personnel retaliated with tear gas shells 
• Doda DC Sagar Doifode said: “Some people are trying to give it a communal colour, but a criminal is a criminal and strict action will be taken. We have detained eight suspects and probe is on”                                 Courtesy:TheTribune,May16,2019