SrinagarFour youth and a militant were killed in a firing incident in south Kashmirs Shopian district late Sunday evening
A Police official said a joint mobile vehicle check post (MVCP) near Pohan in Shopian signalled a car to stop, but it did not.
The Army men were fired upon and they retaliated, in which a militant was killed, the official said. He said a weapon and a pouch was found near the militant s body.
The official said that when police were called, they found a car some distance away in which three youth were found dead.
He said it was being ascertained whether the three youths were associates of the militant or not.
However, Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said the three were over-ground workers and accomplices of the slain militant.
The three slain youth have been identified as Suhail Ahmad Wagay (22) of Pinjoora, Mohammad Shahid Khan (20) of Malikgund, Shahnawaz Ahmad Wagay (22),Gowhar Ahmad Lone (20) of Moolu Trenz of Moolu Trenz, all from Shopian district, while as the militant killed in the exchange of fire has been identified as Shahid Ahmad Dar, a resident of Jamnagri, Shopian.
Police reached the spot and was carrying out legal formalities, he said.
Meanwhile, the people and the family members of three youth contested army claims that slain were Over Ground Workers of militants.
Mohammad Abbass, brother of one of the slain youth Suhail Ahmad Wagay (22), told news agency GNS over phone that Sohail called him at 7:24pm. He told me he has reached Pehlipora after dropping our mother where our sister resides, he said.
After about half an hour, we heard the shocking news about his killing with two other youth. The army is lying that he or two other youth were OGWs, he said and broke down. There was no further conversation as he was screaming.
Similarly, Bashir Ahmad, father of Shahid Khan (20) said that his son was a student of 12th class and not an OGW. He left home at around 6:00pm for Masjid for prayers, he said, adding, It is nothing but a cold-blooded murder. Emotions got better of Bashir and he too started screams and there was no conversion also. Family of the other slain youth, Shahnawaz Ahmad Wagay (23) of Moolu Trenz also contested the claim.
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