Three militants, including a Lashkar-e-Toiba commander, a civilian and a soldier were killed in two separate gunfights and a search operation in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.
A civilian was killed after forces launched a cordon-and-search-operation (CASO) in Noorbagh area of Qamarwari around 4 am.
Locals said the civilian, identified as Saleem Malik, was killed in cold-blood. A police official said that the police was ascertaining the details of the incident.
Senior PDP leader Altaf Bukhari described the killing as a “cold-blooded murder” while demanding an impartial probe into the incident.
Soon after the killing, clashes between civilians and Government forces erupted in the area when mourners were carrying the slain civilian’s body towards the Eidgah Srinagar for the burial.
Reports said clashes erupted after forces tried to stop mourners fro taking the deceased’s body to Eid Gah.
Authorities have also imposed like restrictions in downtown area and suspended internet services in Srinagar, Budgam in central Kashmir and Anantnag in south Kashmir.
A top commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba, Asif Malik alias Abu Ukasha of Khahgund Verinag and a soldier were killed in a shootout following an army ambush in Gasigund village of Dooru in Anantnag district. Two more soldiers were wounded in the shootout.
The slain soldier was identified as Happy Singh and the injured as Bupinder Singh and Kulwant Singh of 19 RR.
Two militants were killed in a gunfight with the government forces in Panzan village of central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
SSP Budgam Tejinder Singh said a searches are underway at the site of the gunfight which broke out early today following a search operation.
Singh said the bodies of the slain militants have been recovered from the gunfight site. “A search operation is underway,” he said, adding that the identity of the slain militants is yet to be ascertained.
Meanwhile, The Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) has called for shutdown tomorrow against the killing of a civilian in Qamarwari area of Srinagar during a cordon-and-search-operation.
In a tweet, Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq appealed for shutdown tomorrow.
“JRL asks People to register their strong protest by observing a complete hartal tomorrow Friday 28th September against the continued gruesome and barbaric killing of Kashmiri’s at the hands of Indian forces,arrest spree of resistance activists and supporters. State terror has been unleashed under CASO to wipe out and harass Kashmiri’s unabashedly!” tweeted Mirwaiz.
A civilian Saleem Malik was killed during a CASO in Noorbagh area of Qamarwari on Thursday morning.
