A protester was killed while six others suffered bullet wounds in security forces' action during clashes following an encounter between militants and army in Shopian area of south Kashmir on Wednesday.
Sources said a joint team of army and special operations group (SOG) of state police cordoned off Terkiwangam village in Shopian following specific information about the presence of some militants in the area.
As the joint team of forces approached the spot, the hiding militants opened fire, triggering a gunfight. “The operation is going on and two to three militants, including most-wanted Hizbul Muajhideen commander Saddam Padder, are believed to be hiding in the area," sources said.
As the gunfight was going on, a large number of youth took to streets and threw stones at security forces, who used tear smoke shells, pellet guns and live ammunition. At least seven protesters suffered bullet wounds. Four of the injured were rushed to a hospital where one, identified as 17-year-old Umar Kumar, succumbed to injuries later, the medical superintendent at Shopian District Hospital said.
On Monday, two militants, including Hizbu commander Sameer Tiger, were killed in a similar operation at Drabgam area neighbouring Pulwama district. One civilian protester had also died in the forces' action on stone pelters.
Sameer Tiger was the most-wanted militant in the area. He had surfaced on social media last year with an American M4 carbine. He was one among 11 top militants, whose group picture surfaced on social media in early 2016, setting a trend for future ultras. Tiger, along with Padder, was the only surviving militant in that group till earlier this week.
In the wake of the encounter and subsequently killing of a civilian, authorities decided to snap mobile internet services in parts of south Kashmir as “precautionary measure.”
Published 02 May 2018, 17:56 IST