Srinagar: Six persons including four militants, a cop and a civilian were killed while scores of civilians were injured with two of them critical after an encounter broke out early Friday morning between government forces and militants at Srigufwara area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Militants killed have been identified as Majid manzoor pulwama, Dawood Sofi HMT, md Ashraf itoo from sarigufwara ananthnag and Adil hussain Mir srigufwara while identity of the fourth killed militant is being ascertained, police sources said.
“Dawood is reportedly affiliated with Islamic State Jammu Kashmir,” sources said.
A civilian identified as Mohammad Yousuf who was earlier injured in cross firing at gun battle sight at Srigufwara of south Kashmir’s Anantnag has succumbed to his injuries.
Reports said that the owner of the house Mohammad Yousuf in which militants were hiding and his wife were injured as the firefight broke out in Nowshera Khiram in Srigufwara today morning.
Earlier, Yousuf and his wife Hafeeza were shifted to sub-district hospital Bijbehara for treatment. However, Rather was declared dead on arrival while Hafeeza was shifted to SKIMS Soura for specialized treatment.
Srinagar based Army spokesman in a statement said that the anti militancy operation was launched after ‘specific intelligence’.
“A joint operation was launched in the early hours today by Army, JKP, CRPF in general area Naushera, Anantnag. While the search of the area was being carried out, SF personnel came under fire from one of the houses,” he said.
He further said that one personnel of the SOG was killed and a civilian was grievously injured in militants fire, who, later succumbed to his injuries.
Responding to attack, he claimed, two militants were killed initially.
While search operations in the adjoining area intensified, militants hiding in a ‘nullah” fired at the forces and in the ensuing gunfight two more militants were killed.
Meanwhile, massive clashes have erupted near the site of the gunfight and in the adjoining areas.
Reports said that youth pelted stones on the forces to disrupt their operation against the besieged militants, believed to be four in number. The forces responded by firing live ammunition, tear gas and pellets.
Reports said that twenty civilians were injured so far.
Some of the injured have been identified as follows:
Nisar Ahmad Itoo s/o Gh Ahmad Itoo R/o Hatigam sirgufwara, received pallet injury in both legs.
Shahid Nazir s/o Nazir Ahmad hajam r/o sirhama received bullet injury on head referred to Srinagar SKIMS from Bijbehara hospital.
Burhan shafi s/oMohd Shafi Bhat r/o sirhama received bullet injury on head referred to Srinagar SKIMS from BIJBEHARA hospital in critical condition.
Sajad Ahmad s/o Muzafar Ahmad wagay R/o sirhama received shell injury on head.
Gowhar Ahmad s/o Nazir Ahmad r/o Wagama received pallet injury on arms.
Zahid Ahmad s/o Farooq Ahmad r/o Wagama received pallet injury on left eye.
Tahir Ahmad Najar s/o GH hassan najar r/o wagama received bullet injury left arm.
Suhail farooq s/o farooq Ahmad bhat r/o nowshera received bullet injury left this
Abid Ahmad s/o Abdul salam sheikh r/o magraypora received bullet injury on left leg
“One of the injured has been referred from DH Anantnag hospital to Srinagar hospital, while two other were referred from BIJBEHARA hospital to SKIMS hospital in critical condition,” hospital sources said.
Mobile Internet services were Friday snapped in three districts of Kashmir Valley, including the summer capital, as “a precautionary measure to maintain law and order”.
