24-hour-long gunfight in Bahmnoo village of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district ended on Tuesday morning with the killing of third militant.
Reports said that government forces blasted and set to set on fire three residential houses where the militants had taken cover.
They said that para commandos were called in last night to neutralize the last militant who was putting up a tough fight.
“The commandos blew up and set ablaze three houses, bringing an end to the gunfight raging since 7 am yesterday,” said an official.
Two militants – Kifayat and Jehangir Khanday – were killed in initial shootout yesterday morning.
An army major and a CRPF officer were injured after militants lobbed grenades and tried to break the cordon, officials said. “Both of them were moved to a hospital where their condition is said to be stable,” said an official.
As the word about the encounter spread, hundreds of youth from different villages of Pulwama and Shopian rushed to Bahmnoo and pelted government forces with stones from all sides in a bid to help the militants escape, witnesses said.
The government forces retaliated with teargas, ‘Pava’ shells, pellets and also fired bullets, triggering massive clashes.
At least 35 persons were injured in the fierce clashes and among them, five were hit by bullets.
The injured were immediately rushed to Keller hospital where from four of them were moved to Srinagar directly and one of the injured youths was taken to Pulwama. “He too was referred to Srinagar from Pulwama hospital,” locals said.
