Physically Challenged Teenager Dies in Cross Fire
Srinagar: Two days after five security personnel were killed in an encounter in Handwara, a militant strike left three CRPF personnel dead in Qaziabad area of the same town falling in the frontier Kupwara district.
According to reports, unidentified militants fired upon the personnel of CRPF 92 battalion at Wangam area around 5:32 pm Monday. The paramilitary troops, returned the fire triggering off an encounter.
In the exchange of fire, two CRPF men were killed and three others injured. One among them succumbed before he could be taken to the hospital for treatment, reports said.
When the gunfire ceased, body of a teenager was spotted around half a kilometre from the shootout site. He was identified as a 14-year-old boy Hazim Shafi Bhat, a student of 7th standard, of Khipora village.
“He along with other boys in the area had taken animals for grazing. While others fled, he could not as he was physically handicapped. He could not even properly talk and would occasionally fell down,” Mohammad Rayeez, his immediate neighbour told local news agency GNS.
His uncle Haji Ghulam Mohammad Bhat said the body was found almost half a kilometre from his residence.
The family termed reports dubbing him as militant as “very unfortunate.” “He could not properly walk or talk. How can he be a militant,” Bhat said.
PRO CRPF Kashmir Assistant Commandant Junaid Khan said that two of his men were killed on the spot while one more died later on the way to the hospital.
A police officer said the teenager was killed in “cross-firing” between militants and the security personnel
The officer identified the CRPF men killed in the attack as Constable Santosh Mishra, Constable Chandra Shekhar and Ashwani Kumar Yadav.
Soon after the attack, additional reinforcement of army, SOG and CRPF rushed to the spot and launched a massive search operation to trace out the militants.
The CRPF killings came two days after five security personnel including, an army colonel, a major and two soldiers, along with a SOG sub-inspector, were killed in one of the deadliest operations for the security forces in the Valley.
The 12-hour operation took place in Handwara also in Kupwara district.
Earlier seven soldiers were killed in two separate encounters in North Kashmir this month.
Five soldiers were killed in a fierce encounter with militants on April 4 in Keran sector of Kupwara.
North Kashmir had by and large remained peaceful till last year when Kashmir was striped of its semi autonomous status and state downgraded into a union territory.
CISF Man Injured In Grenade Attack
A Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF) personal on Monday was injured after militants lobbed a grenade towards the Power Grid station in Nowgam area of the city outskirts.
A police officer confirmed the incident and said one CISF man received minor splinter injuries in the attack.
Meanwhile, the government forces cordoned off the whole area and launched searches to nab the attackers.
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