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News

Militants killed in Shopian, civilian dead in clashes


Date:- 05 Aug 2018


Mir Ehsan    

Four more were killed in the village on Saturday, away from the house where the militants had been hiding through the night.

Five militants were killed in a counter-insurgency operation in Kilora village of South Kashmir’s Shopian district that started overnight and stretched into Saturday. A civilian died and two others were injured in Gunawpora in the same district when forces opened fire on protesters at the funeral of one of the slain militants.

The operation was launched on Friday night by the Army and the Special Operations Group of the police after they received information about the presence of militants in Kilora. In the initial exchange of fire, one of the militants died on Friday night. He was identified as a commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba in Shopian.

Four more were killed in the village on Saturday, away from the house where the militants had been hiding through the night. Defence spokesman Rajesh Kalia said: “One militant was killed on Friday night while four more bodies were recovered on Saturday morning.”

A police spokesman said the encounter took place in an open area after the militants, who were in hiding, took advantage of the darkness and came out of the house where they had been holed up and sprayed gunfire on the security forces.

“The fire was retaliated and in the ensuing encounter, five militants were killed,” the spokesman said.Four of the five men who died were identified as local militants who belonged to Shopian. The fifth, identified as Umar Malik, was described as a prominent Lashkar commander.

The bodies of four militants were handed over to their families and a large number of locals participated in their funerals. Militants appeared in one of the funeral and paid a gun salute to the slain men.

Locals said the militants were led by Naveed Jatt, a prominent Lashkar commander who escaped in February when he was taken to SMHS hospital in Srinagar for a medical checkup.

After the funeral of one of the militants in Gunawpora, as protests broke out, security forces opened fire, leading to the death of a man identified as Arshid Ahmad. Locals said Ahmad was hit by a bullet in the chest. Two others were injured in the firing. Internet was shut down in Shopian to prevent protests from spreading.

Mir Ehsan letters@hindustantimes.com n

Courtesy: Hindustan Times: 05 Aug 2018