J&K: 3 killed in encounter, mother fails to persuade militant to surrender
Srinagar: Sources in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Thursday revealed that it had killed two militants belonging to outlawed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, in an encounter in J&K’s Pulwama on Thursday.
Jehangir Ganai, a top LeT militant was among the two militants killed.
"A terrorist is reportedly killed in Pulwama encounter. The troops of 130 Bn CRPF, 55 RR and SOG Pulwama are involved in the operation," the CRPF said.
Another militant Sher Gujri was also engaging the forces in an exchange of fire.
While the exchange of fire between the two sides was on, the security officials brought the mother and other family members of one of the militants Muhammad Shaffi Sher Gujri to the spot to make an appeal through them to him to surrender.
But the effort failed as the militant refused to do so. Though reports said that Sher Gujri was killed, officials confirmed the death of only Ganai.
A 15-year-old boy was also killed and two other civilians were injured in clashes with police near the site of the encounter.
The boy has been identified as Aamir Nazir, a 9th standard student from Pulwama’s Begum Bagh village. Nazir was hit by a bullet when the security forces acted against surging crowds which made repeated attempts to relocate to the encounter site, chanting pro-freedom slogans and hurling stones at the security personnel trying to neutralize the militants holed up in a private house.
The doctors at a medical facility in neighbouring Kakapora said that the boy was declared dead on arrival. Two more civilian protesters are reported to have wounded in the firing –one of them received a bullet in his leg – but their condition in a Srinagar hospital is stated to be “stable”.
No official statement has, so far, been issued by the police or any other government authority on the shooting incident.
The incident comes in the wake of comments by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat last month, who said that the security forces were suffering higher casualties in clashes with militants in Kashmir because local population is helping the latter by hindering operations against them.
He had warned the people of the Valley that they will be dealt as “anti-nationals” and face “harsh” actions unless they desist from creating hurdles during actions against what he called are terrorists. His statement, however, evoked sharp criticism by local political parties and many said that they see the warning as an "open threat" to the people of Kashmir.
The encounter began last night after security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Padgampora village of Awantipora around 2.30 am following information about the presence of militants in the area.
The militants opened fire at security forces around 4.40 am, which was retaliated by the law enforcement personnel. The militants were hiding in two houses next to each other.
Authorities have, meanwhile, suspended train services between Banihal and Srinagar apprehending that miscreants might target the trains along the south Kashmir tracks.
