Srinagar: A personnel from Special Operations Group (SOG) was killed and another along with three CRPF men suffered injuries in an encounter with militants near the Unani hospital at Batamaloo here on Sunday, police said.
The brief gunfight ended as militants managed to escape from the site, a few kilometers away from Bakshi Stadium, the likely venue for the August 15 function.
“On a specific information about presence of militants in a hideout, an operation was launched in Batmaloo Srinagar, leading to exchange of fire, one SOG personnel killed, one JKP & 2 CRPF soldiers sustained injuries, ,” DGP SP Vaid said on Twitter. The slain cop was identified as SPO Pervaiz Ahmad.
The owner of the house Neyaz Ahmad Bhat, where militants were hiding before coming into open, also received injuries during the “exchange of gunfight”, said an official. While injured policemen and CRP personnel were admitted to army hospital, the civilian was admitted to SMHS hospital and his condition is said to be stable, he said.
DIG Central Kashmir VK Birdi said that a policeman was killed and four forces’ personnel injured in the exchange of fire. “Jammu and Kashmir Police received an input about the presence of militants in Batamaloo area. Contact was established with the militants during the search operation. A hideout was busted and two accomplices of the militants were arrested,” he said.
He said a militant was also injured in the firefight. “We have received information that a militant has suffered injuries in the initial round of fire,” he said.
