Four gunfights between security forces and militants rattled different parts of the Valley in 24 hours, in which five militants, including a top Lashkar commander, were killed and at least seven jawans injured. All four operations are still going on.
On Thursday, encounters started at three places in north Kashmir’s Baramulla, Sopore and Bandipora areas. Around midnight, another gun battle started in south Kashmir’s Shopian.
Working on “specific information” about the presence of militants at Nambalnar village, which is surrounded by woods, forces cordoned off the village on Wednesday evening and launched a search operation.
Militants in hiding fired at the search party and managed to escape under the cover of darkness, a police official said.
Later, forces started the search in nearby village Bandi Payeen and contact was established with militants on Thursday morning, police said. The militants fired at forces and took shelter inside an under-construction school building. Three security forces personnel, including an army officer and two soldiers, were injured in the exchange of fire, the army said.
The injured troops were evacuated to a hospital and are in stable condition.
In the evening, the forces blasted the school building and the hiding militants were killed. Officials said two militants were killed but their identity is yet to be established.
Another encounter started in Hajin area of Bandipora in which two militants and a 12-year-old minor were killed.
Forces had launched a search operation in the village and militants were cornered in a house. However, police officials said the militants took eight members of the family hostage. All the family members were released except the 12-year-old boy, police said.
The third gunfight raged in Warpora village of Sopore where, as per police, militants opened fire and hurled a grenade on forces during a search operation and injured two policemen, including an officer.
Forces started search operation in the village after information of militant presence in the area, police officials said. The hiding militants hurled a grenade at the forces, causing injuries to the station house officer, Dangiwacha, Muddasir Geelani and his personal security officer Javed Ahmad, the official said.
The injured policemen were evacuated to Srinagar for treatment. The gunfight is still going on and police said fresh firing took place on Friday morning at the encounter spot.
A Nocturnal Gun Fight
Reports said that the initial exchange of fire took place at 3 am in Gadapora village of the district following which there was a lull until 7:40 am when the gunfight started again.
The fourth gunfight broke out between militants and forces at a village in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Friday.
Forces had cordoned and launched a search operation in Gadapora village of Shopian in the night. The contact with militants was established around 3 am, reports said. In the ongoing gunfight, two militants have been killed so far.
The mobile internet services have been snapped in south and north Kashmir areas.
