Top Lashkar Commander, Aide Killed

Anantnag—Two civilians and two militants, one of whom a top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander, were killed on Saturday when armed forces and militants exchanged fire in a South Kashmir village of Dialgam in Anantnag district.

Army assisted by para-military CRPF and Special Operation Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police cordoned off Brinti Dialgam early on Saturday morning. Reports said the residents came out of their houses from surrounding areas and clashed with troops engaged in cordon and search operation. This, according to police, was an attempt by villagers to help trapped militants escape. However, CRPF and police opened fire on surging crowds to keep them at bay.

In the meanwhile a fierce gun fight ensued between trapped militants and the Govt forces that lasted several hours. Two militants died fighting while troops suffered no casualties.

Director General of J&K Police, Shiv Prasad Vaid identified one of the slain militants as Bashir Ahmad alias Bashir Lashkari, a wanted militant who he said was involved in killing of six policemen in Kokernag on June 16.

Another slain militant was identified as Azad Ahmad Dada.

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The police said that all the 17 civilians who were trapped in cluster of residential house where the militants had taken up positions were rescued safely.

However two civilians Tahira Bano and Shadab Ahmed were killed as forces opened fire on villagers trying to break the cordon while one more woman Raja Bano reportedly died due to heart failure during the encounter.

Officials said that locals tried to disrupt the operation and entered into intense clashes with government forces. At least 14 civilians received pellet and bullet injuries. They however said Tahira Bano died in cross fire. 

44-year-old Tahira was critically injured after she was caught in the crossfire between the militants and the security forces. She was rushed to Anantnag’s district hospital where she succumbed, the police sources said.

21-year-old Shadab Ahmed, a resident of neighbouring Kulgam, was critically injured when government forces opened fire to stop crowds from surging ahead towards encounter site.

Shadab was rushed to Srinagar’s Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

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Over a dozen other people were injured in the clashes. According to reports, three protesters sustained bullet and two others pellet wounds whereas the rest were injured in teargas shelling and cane-charge by the security forces.

Earlier residents had alleged that the security forces were using some families as human shield and that they were not allowing the one in whose house the militants have been holed up to leave.

But the police officials strongly denied it and said that it were actually the militants who were using the civilians as human shield.

“All the 17 civilians who were trapped inside the premises where terrorists have been holed up have been rescued,” police said.

The authorities had snapped mobile internet services in Anantnag whereas strict security restrictions were enforced in a 3-km radius area of the encounter site. The officials said that the mobile internet services were withdrawn to prevent the spreading of rumours by anti social elements through social media. The roads to Brenti-Dialgam were sealed by the security forces.

Police meanwhile described the killing of Bashir Lashkari a big blow to Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The government forces had tightened the noose around Bashir after the killing of six policemen including Station House Officer Feroz Ahmed Dar in an ambush at Tajwah, Acchabal.

The deadly attack at a vehicle in which the policemen were travelling through the area on the evening of June 16 had come hours after the troops had killed the LeT’s district commander Junaid Matto along with another militant in a fire fight in neighbouring Arwani area. The security forces officials had termed the killing of policemen a “revenge act” and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice soon.

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Hailing from Kokernag area of Anathnag district in south Kashmir Bashir Lashkari crossed to Pakistani side of Kashmir in 1999.

He returned under state government amnesty scheme announced by Omar Abdullah government in 2012. Lashkari was jailed till 2014. After release he rejoined militancy in 2015.

Civilian Killings on Rise

With fresh civilian killings, the death toll of civilians has gone up to 22 since 15th February when army chief General Bipin Rawat warned of stern action against civilians who would try to disrupt counter-insurgency operations.

Data from the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) shows that there has been a spike in civilian deaths in the January-June period in conflict-related incidents this year. While 17 civilians were killed during the entire period in 2016, this year so far the toll has crossed 55.

Also See – Anantnag Encounter & Aftermath

CM grieved over civilians killings

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has expressed grief over the death of two civilians at Anantnag during an anti-militancy operation today.

Terming the deaths as tragic and unfortunate the Chief Minister appealed the people to keep away from the points of conflagration so that precious human lives are not lost.

Conveying her sympathies to the bereaved families, Mehbooba said the vicious cycle of death and destruction confronting Kashmir must end at the earliest and efforts should be made at all levels to revive the peace and reconciliation process for the larger good of the people sandwiched in a gory situation.

“We in Jammu and Kashmir understand better what the ordeal of violence is, as it has been our fate to live through and survive its frightening and devouring hazards,” she said and added that for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, suffering over two decades of turmoil, has been a long, dark experience, bloody at times and frustrating at almost every step. “This gory era must end now for the sake of our future generations,” she said.

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