Two local militants were killed while four security forces personnel were injured in a fierce gun battle in Sothu Kothair area of Nowgam on the outskirts of Srinagar on Wednesday morning.
Police said the gunfight broke out around 2 am following a cordon-and-search-operation (CASO) based on ‘credible input’ about the presence of the militants in the area. As the security forces were conducting searches they were fired and in the initial exchange of gunfire, four security forces personnel were injured, a police official said.
The gun battle continued for an hour in which two militants was killed. They were identified as Sabzar Sofi and Asif Ahmad Gojri, both residents of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. The killing of the militants sparked off violent protests in the area and led to a spontaneous shutdown, reports said.
The authorities also suspended mobile Internet services in Srinagar and neighbouring Budgam district, a common government practice, aimed to calm tensions and prevent protests from being organized. Intra-Kashmir train services remained suspended due to apprehension of fresh violence. Schools and colleges were also closed in Srinagar district.
There has been a spurt in encounters between security forces and militants in the last few weeks. This was the second encounter in Srinagar in a week. On October 17, top commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba Mehraj ud Din Bangroo his accomplice, a civilian and a policeman were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Fateh Kadal area of old city Srinagar.
Earlier on October 21, seven civilians were killed when an explosive shell went off after an encounter between security forces and militants in south Kashmir’s Kulgam ended in which three ultras of Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit were shot dead.
Nearly 170 militants have been killed in Kashmir this year while 217 ultras were killed in 2017 which was highest in the last eight years. The security forces are going after militants as part of "operation all out" and on the basis of a “hit list” of ultras.
The civilian support and sympathy for militants has increased since the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani in July 2016, which has become a concern to the state.
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