PULWAMA: A civilian was killed in South Kashmirs Pulwama district after villagers clashed with police and Army soon after an encounter ended at Naina Batpora village. One local militant was also killed in the encounter that started on Tuesday evening.
Police said that the civilian Parvaz Ahmad Guroo, who was killed, was part of the mob that was involved in stone-pelting on the security forces.
After the encounter ended, many villagers indulged in rioting and stone-pelting in which many security forces personnel sustained injuries, a civilian also died in the clashes, Deputy Inspector General of Police, South Kashmir, Nitish Kumar told said.
Earlier, two militants were killed on Wednesday in a gunfight with security forces in a village in Kashmir’s Pulwama district, police said.
“Two militants belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen – identified as Riyaz Naik and Lateef Dar – were killed in a gun battle with the security forces today (Wednesday) in Naina Batpora village,” a senior police officer told the news agency IANS here.
An earlier report said two civilians were injured in a grenade explosion while removing the debris from the damaged house, and one of them died later.
While the villagers accused the security forces of firing at the civilian, the police officer said the circumstances leading to the civilian casualty were being ascertained.
Two other civilians were injured in an explosion as villagers were removing the debris of Abdul Salam Wani’s house destroyed in the gunfight. The house was allegedly used as a fortified bunker by the militants.
Security forces recovered only one body of the slain militant as they withdrew from the village following protests by villagers.
An agitated mob in nearby Kakapora town torched a vehicle of Special Operations Group (SOG) of the state police as the news about the civilian’s death spread.
Senior civil and security force officials rushed to spot to take stock of the situation.
Police said troops of the 55 Rashtriya Rifles, 182 and 183 Battalions of Central Reserve Police Force and SOG surrounded the village house on Tuesday evening after a tip-off.
When the security forces asked the militants to surrender, they resorted to indiscriminate firing that triggered the gunfight, police said.
The police said that protests in the area started soon after the police and Armys Rashtriya Rifles were winding the operation. As the news about militants death spread in the village, people took out a protest demonstration and clashed with the police. Protestors also set a police vehicle on fire. In the clashes, four youth sustained injuries, the injured civilians were referred to Srinagar hospital for treatment.
Medical Superintendent SMHS hospital, Nazir Choudhary said that four youth with bullet injuries were received in the hospital from Pulwama. They (injured) have bullet injuries and doctors are treating them, he said.
On Tuesday evening, Police, Army and the CRPF had launched a search operation in the village after they received a tip-off about the presence of the militants in the village.
The firing continued till late in the evening.
Following the clashes, the train service between Baramulla and Banihal was also suspended. Sources said the security forces had information that two to three militants including a top commander were present in the area.
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