People Throng Encounter Site Again, 1 Killed, 60 Injured

Pulwama—At least one civilian was killed and sixty others injured, mostly with bullet and pellet wounds, after government forces resorted to firing to stop large number of villagers from approaching an encounter site in Kakpora area of Pulwama Thursday morning.

Residents stormed the cordoned area where three local militants had got trapped after government forces laid siege there during night hours.

Contingents of troops from 50 Rashtriya Rifles, Special Operations Group (SOG) of J&K police and 183 CRPF battalion launched an operation to kill three local militants who were present in the village.

Police sources said Majid Hameed Mir son of Abdul Hameed alias Abbas, Shakir Ahmad Jugoo son of Bashir Ahmad, residents of Kakapora and Irshad Ahmad Dar son of Mohammad Sultan Dar resident of Padgampora were trapped in the dragnet. Late on Thursday exchange of firing began and by midnight the house in which three were present was blasted by mortars killing all the three instantly, they said.

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Police said all the slain militants, had recently joined the militant ranks and were associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba group.

In the wee hours a large number of people thronged the encounter site to retrieve the bodies of the militants but were intercepted by the forces resulting in clashes. 

When the charged residents pressed ahead clashes ensued. Later police handed over bodies of the militants to kin for burial. 

“After the burial, which was attended by thousands of people, a charged mob attacked Police Post Kakapora. 

According to police, “in order to save lives and government property, the security forces used riot control measures in which one person identified as Tawseef Ahmad alias Chota Geelani, resident of Tengpuna Pulwama was injured. The injured was shifted to hospital for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries.”

Police described Tawseef a chronic stone pelter involved in agitations since 2010.He had been earlier booked two times under draconian Public Safety Act.

Sources said that sixty two persons injured during clashes were brought to the public health centre Kakapora.

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Hospital sources said that 18 of the injured were referred to Srinagar for advanced treatment. They said those referred to Srinagar were having multiple pellet injuries.

Sources in the Sub District Hospital Pampore said that they received 5 injured from Kakapora and referred two critically injured to Srinagar.   

Doctors said Tawseef Hassan Wani was brought to Pampore hospital but he had died on the way.

A ninth class student was also among the injured. He sustained bullet injury at Koil Pulwama.The injured student was identified as Kamran Mohiuddin.

Eyewitnesses said Kamran was injured when a police party opened fire in Koil. 

“Police opened fire when a group of youth pelted stones on a police vehicle passing through the south Kashmir village”.

Situation remained very tense in Pulwama district throughout the day, reports said.

Encounter 

Police said that acting on a specific input Pulwama police along with 50 RR and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in Bank Mohalla Kakapora.

“During the search militants hiding in the area fired at the search party, resulting in injury to one army official who is stated to be stable.”

“The fire was retaliated, ensuing an encounter. Three LeT militants were killed in this encounter.Two AK rifles and 01 Pistol was recovered from the encounter site.

Majid Hamid Mir was involved in killings of Sarpanch Fayaz Ahmad resident of Kandizal and Sarpanch Fayaz Ahmad resident of Dar Mohalla Kakapora. He was also involved in grenade attacks on PP Kakapora and bank robbery at Wahibugh.”

“Majid along with Shakir Gugoo were involved in the killing of advocate Abdul Gani and killing of a civilian Aijaz Ahmad resident of Urbugh. They were also involved in the bank robbery at Nehama,” Police claimed.

Eyewitnesses and reports said that restrictions were imposed in different parts of South Kashmir as a precautionary measure, in view of prevailing law and order situation,” said a statement, issued by District Magistrate Pulwama.

“Further the class work in Govt Degree Colleges and Higher Secondary School shall remain suspended today on 22 June 2017.”

Internet services remained also affected.

Call for Protests

Joint Resistance Leadership has called for protests after Friday prayers against what it described as “target killing” of a civilian in Kakapora.

In a statement, the leadership condemned the killing of the civilian following the death of three militants in an encounter with forces.

The leadership dubbed as “genocide” the “target killing” of a civilian and injuring of over 40 persons during the clashes with government forces.They said that a spike in civilian killings has been witnessed after the threat issued by Indian army chief Gen Bipin Rawat.

“Forces personnel have been provided with a license to carry out the killings,” they alleged.

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