SRINAGAR Three militants are believed to have been trapped in an encounter at Handwara in Kashmir Kupwara district, officials said Thursday.
Giving details emerging from the encounter site, which is taking place at Satgund in Handwara, police and other security forces cordoned off a village following intelligence inputs about presence of militants, they said.
Police was making repeated announcements on public address system appealing to the militants to surrender, they said.
There was a lull in firing at around 9 AM, prompting the police to initiate search operation at the encounter site, but the same had to be suspended after firing resumed after 15 minutes, the officials said.
Reports said that scholar-turned-militant Manan Wani was also trapped in in the gunfight
Wani, who was enrolled as a PhD scholar with the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), joined militant ranks in January this year.
Meanwhile, protests and clashes are going on near the encounter site. According to witnesses people including women and children have joined the protest. Government forces used tear gas shells to disperse the protesters.
Authorities have suspended internet and ordered closure of schools and colleges in the Kupwara district.
Educational institutions have also been closed in parts of valley in wake of the gunfight. (With PTI Inputs)
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
