Two Jaish militants killed in Tral gunfight

Suhail A Shah

Anantnag, June 19

Two Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants were killed during an ongoing encounter in the Tral area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

Four Army personnel and a CRPF man were also injured during the gunfight.

Giving details, Inspector General of Police SP Pani said: “Two militants have been killed in the gunfight. The combing operation in the area is on and the body of the third militant is expected to be found soon.”

This is the first encounter between security forces and militants in south Kashmir since the calling off of NICO (non-initiation of combat operations), extended for the month of Ramzan by the Central government, on June 17.

According to local sources, a cordon and search operation was launched in Hayuna village of Tral by a joint party of the Army, police and the CRPF at around 4 pm on Tuesday.

“While door-to-door searches were being carried out in the area, militants holed up in a residential house, sensing trouble, opened indiscriminate fire,” a senior police official said.

He said the militants used firing to try to escape but were pushed back into the house by retaliatory fire. “Right now, firing is going on from both sides,” the official added.

Meanwhile, intense clashes erupted in the area as soon as the encounter began.

Announcements on loudspeakers were made urging the people to come out and save the militants following which hundreds came onto roads and started clashing with the security forces. Tear-smoke shells were being fired by the security forces to keep the people from marching towards the site of the encounter.

‘Civilian inadvertently shot at by Army’

A 51-year-old man was shot at and critically injured by the Army as they opened fire in response to a sound caused by a "firecracker or tyre burst" here in the Srigufwara area of Anantnag district. The injured has been identified as Javaid Ahmad Waza, a vegetable vendor. Javaid has been shifted to Srinagar for treatment and is stated to be critical. Anantnag SSP Altaf Khan confirmed the incident.