SRINAGAR: The security forces on Thursday killed three more militants including a top commander of outlawed Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) in their sustained campaign against separatist militants in Jammu and Kashmir. With these killings, the number of militants neutralised in counterinsurgency operations in the restive Kashmir Valley during the past week has risen to sixteen. The slain include two senior commanders of the LeT and another of Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), the officials said. They termed these killings as a major breakthrough against separatist militants in the state.
During a series of operations carried out on Thursday, an Army jawan and two civilians were also killed and three security personnel were injured. The killing of a Srinagar resident triggered protests and clashes in parts of the summer capital and by students on the campus of the University of Kashmir in City’s Hazratbal area.
The witnesses said that the security forces fired teargas canisters to break up the funeral procession of slain civilian Muhammad Saleem Malik, a resident of City’s Noorbagh area. Later during the day, irate crowds clashed with police and Central armed forces at several places.
