Four terrorists and a teenager were killed while four soldiers and over a dozen civilian protesters were injured in three separate incidents of violence in Shopian and Pulwama districts of south Kashmir and Kupwara in north Kashmir on Friday. Reports said Naveed Jatt, involved in the murder of Rising Kashmir Editor Shujaat Bukhari, is believed to be trapped in the encounter.

Sources said that a gun-battle erupted in Chatpora village of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Friday afternoon after security forces cordoned off the area on a specific input on presence of a group of ultras. Director General of police Shesh Paul Vaid said that three terrorists were trapped in the cordoned area.

Source said that a large number of locals gathered around the encounter site and attempted to break the cordon to help the holed-up terrorists escape. Announcements were made from mosques asking people to storm the encounter site. During the initial exchange of fire, at least one soldier received bullet injury. He was immediately shifted to Army’s Base Hospital for treatment. In the subsequent firing, a teenager and two local ultras were killed.

Sources said that over a dozen civilian protesters were injured during heavy clashes with security forces. A teenager Faizan Ahmad Khan of Pampore area later succumbed to firearm injuries. Other injured youths were shifted to local hospital for treatment.

Source said that three terrorists were killed in the prolonged encounter. Officials said that debris of the residential house where the ultras were hiding was being cleared.

The operation was called off late in the evening.

The internet services were snapped in Pulwama and neighbouring Shopian district as a precautionary measure in view of ongoing counter-terrorist operation in the area.

In another incident, terrorists hurled a grenade towards an Army patrol at Ahgam village in south Kashmir’s Shopian district. Police said ultras subsequently opened fire in the village.

A police spokesperson said that terrorists lobbed a grenade on a group of Army personnel when they were busy opening the Goodwill Public School on Friday morning followed by firing. He said three Army personnel sustained injuries, who were evacuated to hospital.

The spokesman added that Army personnel exercised maximum restraint to avoid any damage to civil population and students around.

Earlier in the wee hours, body of an ultra was recovered during a search operation in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district. Defence sources said that the body was recovered by the search party along with an AK-rifle at Tunga Top in the upper belt of Kachama forests that is adjacent to Trehgam area.

They said the search operation in the area was going on to trace out the other members of the terrorist group.

A group of three to five ultras and Army’s search party had a stand-off late Thursday night at Tunga Top forest area. It is believed that the terrorist group may have infiltrated recently into this side of the Line of Control (LoC).

The exchange of fire between ultras and the security forces continued intermittently till pre-dawn hours.

Courtesy: The Pioneer, Saturday, 30 June 2018 | Khursheed Wani | Srinagar