Gunman emerges from smashed house, mounts fresh attack;Killings spark protests; operation to resume today
SHOPIAN: An army major, a soldier and two militants have been reported killed in a six-hour long gun battle at Karewa Manloo in Shopian, 50 kilometers south of Srinagar, official sources said Friday. The encounter occurred a day after the boycott-hit poll in South Kashmir’s four districts. The deaths are yet to be officially confirmed but the sources said Major Mukund Vardarajan of 44 RR died in a surprise attack by a militant who emerged from the debris of the house where according to Police two militants have been killed in a fierce gunfight.
Armys Srinagar-based spokesperson said,”acting on a specific information about the presence of some militants at village Karewa Malnoo, the joint team of armys 44 RR and SOG cordoned off the whole area at around 2:00 pm.” The spokesman added that a joint team of forces intensified the combing operation while the militants hiding inside a residential house opened heavy fire ensuing fierce gunfight.”
Two militants, according to sources, were killed in the encounter. Later, when the joint team was carrying out the searches and the debris was being cleared, a militant came up with the assault rifle and started indiscriminate firing, injuring three soldiers including a major, who died on way to hospital, site . “The militant who is still alive has mounted a sustained assault and is hindering the removal of body,” a police official said.
Sources further revealed that the army and SOG personnel chose to fire mortars into the house where the militants were hiding. “When the mortars set the house on fire, the forces thought the militants have been killed a militants had escaped the mortar fire and emerged when a major was leading the mop-up operation,” the official said
Quoting local eyewitnesses a KNS report however said that before the encounter erupted between the militants and security forces, ultras fired upon the police party who had launched a massive hunt to nab the militants.
The gun shots fired from the both sides created panic in the entire area with the locals running for the cover. The transport and the pedestrian movement were affected in the entire area. People from adjoining villages also took to streets protesting against the militants killing.
In past 24 hours, this is the second incident of gun violence in Shopian. On Thursday unknown gunmen ambushed a CRPF vehicle deployed to guard a polling booth. A young polling official Ziaul Haq died in the firing. The assailant managed to flee the scene. Police said a manhunt has been launched to nab the attackers. No militant group has claimed the assault.
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