Four militants of Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) outfit were killed in a fierce encounter between security forces and ultras in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday.
Over a dozen civilians were also injured during subsequent clashes between forces and protesters near the encounter site.
Reports said the encounter started during the intervening night of Friday and Saturday when Army’s Rashtriya Rifles, paramilitary CRPF and special operation group (SOG) of J&K Police launched a cordon-and-search-operation (CASO) in Hajin Payeen village of Pulwama, 32 kms from here, over a tip-off.
“As the cordon was tightened, the militants fired at the forces, triggering a fierce gunfight in which four ultras were neutralised,” a police officer said.
He identified the slain militants as Muzamil Nabi Dar, Muzamil Nazir Bhat, Waseem Akram Wani, locals Haris, a Pakistani. All the four were affiliated with JeM, the officer added.
Reports said as soon as the news of gunfight spread in the area, youth took to streets in Hajin Payeen and pelted stones at the security forces, who retaliated by firing pellets and tear smoke shells, leaving over a dozen persons wounded.
A health official said ten injured were hit by pellets while one with head injury, most probably caused by a stone, was referred to SMHS hospital in Srinagar for treatment.
This was the second anti-militancy operation in the district in the last 24-hours. On Friday, a local militant of Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit was killed in an encounter with security forces in Banderpora area of Pulwama.
In its ongoing crackdown on militants in Kashmir, security forces have killed nearly 250 ultras this year, while last year 217 militants were neutralised under ‘Operation All Out’. However, despite increase in encounters and militant killings, Army maintains that recruitment of local youth into militancy has seen a decline in Kashmir during the recent months.
Meanwhile, Army on Saturday claimed to have recovered two AK-47 rifles and other ammunition during a search operation in Samba area of Jammu. According to the news agency ANI, army recovered two AK-47 rifles and other war-like stores buried in the ground in Samba sector.
