5 militants killed in Shopian encounter, 5 civilians die in protests

Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 6

Five militants - four of them local commanders - and five civilians were killed during a gunfight and subsequent protests in south Kashmir's Shopian district, pushing the region to edge and threatening a fresh wave of anger.

The militants were killed in the gunfight at Badigam village of Shopian when security forces raided the locality where militants had taken shelter. The slain militants included four local commanders and a university professor who had picked up arms only two days ago.

Also read: Kashmir University Asst Prof’s militancy stint short-lived

The five militants have been identified as Saddam Paddar of Hizbul Mujahideen, Adil Malik of Shopian, Tawseef Sheikh of Kulgam, Bilal Molvi of Shopian and Rafi Bhat of central Kashmir's Ganderbal district. Except for Bhat, the four militants were local commanders, a police official said.

Bhat had a doctorate in sociology and was teaching at University of Kashmir's Sociology department till Friday when he went missing.

The situation aggravated as protests erupted in the volatile south Kashmir district, where militants have vast public support, while the gunfight was under way and five civilians were killed by midday and more were injured.

The injured were rushed to hospitals across south Kashmir and to Srinagar as ambulances sped on deserted roads of the city, amid a shutdown following yesterday's gunfight in which three militants were killed.

The latest killings in Shopian have taken the conflict-related death toll in the region to 14 since yesterday.

The high casualty figures in Shopian has pushed the region to edge and sparked a wave of anger. It is for the second time in past two months that Shopian has witnessed large-scale killing of militants as last month 12 militants were killed in the district in two gunfights in a single day.

The mobile internet services have been suspended in most of Kashmir Valley districts, including in entire south Kashmir, as part of a preventive measure to contain protests.

Video source: Social media

“Encounter concluded at Badigam Zainpora Shopian, 5 bodies of terrorists recovered. Well done boys - Army/ CRPF/J&K Police," Shesh Paul Vaid, Director-General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir, said in a tweet.

Encounter concluded at Badigam Zainpora Shopian, 5 bodies of terrorists recovered. Well done boys - Army/ CRPF/J&K Police.

— Shesh Paul Vaid (@spvaid) May 6, 2018

The spokesman said the identities of the slain militants are being ascertained.

Today’s success comes less than 24 hours after security forces killed three militants in a gunbattle in Chattabal area in the heart of the city on Saturday.

Official sources said top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Saddam Padder and a Kashmir University Assistant Professor Rafi Ahmad Bhat are among the slain militants.

The other militants killed in the gunbattle are Tauseef Shiekh, Aadil Malik and Bilal, alias Molvi, all residents of south Kashmir.

Bhat, a contractual Assistant Professor in the Sociology Department of the university, went missing on Friday.

Bhat’s family informed the university authorities about his disappearance on Saturday.

Protests had rocked the university on Saturday over his disappearance, following which the Vice-chancellor met the protesting students and assured them that all efforts would be made to trace the missing Professor.

The Vice-Chancellor had also written to the Director-General of Police, requesting him that all efforts be made to trace Bhat’s whereabouts.

Inspector General of Police Kashmir S P Pani said the police made repeated attempts to persuade the Professor to surrender, but to no avail.

“After receiving the input about his presence there, we brought his family from Ganderbal to persuade him to surrender,” Pani said.

Two police officials and an Army personnel also suffered minor injuries during the gunbattle, a police official said.

He said incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, have been recovered from the encounter site.

Massive clashes broke out between groups of stone-pelting youth and security forces near the encounter site, leading to the death of five protestors, the official said.

He said a civilian, Asif Ahmad Mir, resident of Rahmoo Pulwama, received bullet injury on his head during the clashes and was rushed to SMHS Hospital here where he succumbed later.

However, a police spokesman said Mir was injured in the cross-firing during the encounter.

Kashmir University has suspended class work for two days from Monday as a precautionary measure and postponed all examinations scheduled to be held on Monday.

Mobile Internet services have been suspended in south Kashmir districts and Ganderbal in central Kashmir, while the facility remained barred in Srinagar for the second consecutive day on Sunday. With PTI