Top ultra, 4 civilians killed in J&K violence

Four civilians and two militants, including Hizb-ul-Mijahideen commander Sameer Tiger, were killed in separate incidents across the Kashmir Valley on Monday.

Tiger and his accomplice were killed in an encounter at Drabgam area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. A civilian was also killed in subsequent clashes between stone-pelting youth and security forces near the site of the gunfight while over a dozen others were injured.

The gunfight broke out after a joint team of army, special operations group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police and paramilitary CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in Drabgam, Pulwama, 35 km from here.

“The militants hiding in the area opened fire after a forces’ party closed in on them, triggering a gunfight. Two security personnel, including a major, were injured in the initial exchange of fire,” they said and added both the injured security personnel have been evacuated to Army’s 92-Base Hospital in Srinagar.

Reports said soon after the gunfight, a large number of youth threw stones and tried to proceed towards the encounter site. The police and paramilitary forces used tear smoke shells, pellet guns and fired shots to disperse them. In the incident, an 18-year-old boy identified as Ashraf Dar who sustained a critical bullet wound, died.

Over a dozen protesters have also been injured during the clashes near the encounter site.

In a separate incident, three civilians were shot dead by unidentified militants in Khanpora area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Monday evening. Sources said the gunmen fired upon the three persons near Iqbal Market Khanpora, Baramulla, 55 km from here. In the incident, the trio sustained serious bullet wounds and died on the spot.

On Twitter, the police confirmed that three civilians were killed by militants in old town Baramulla.

Initial reports identified the victims as Asghar Khan, Asif and Haseeb Khan, all residents of Baramulla. Reports said soon after the incident, security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in the area to trace the assailants.