Civilians tried to forcibly enter the area where an encounter was taking place at Putchal village in Pulwama of south Kashmir trying to help the escape of the trapped militant, police said.
Mohammad Rafiq, a police official, said security forces laid a siege around Putchal village on Wednesday night.
“The operation was launched on a specific information that militants were present in the area,” he said.
An encounter followed exchange of fire between the militant and the police, but local people pelted stones at policemen engaged in the operation. Police reacted with shells and cane charging at the stone throwers.
Rafiq alleged that the civilians disrupted the operation and were saving the militant,whose identity could not be established, but he was eventually killed. The extremist was identified as Shakoor Ahmad Teli, divisional commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba.
Police also said two militants were killed during an exchange of fire with security forces at Esmali forests in Keran sector near the LoC.
Published 04 August 2011, 13:08 IST