PulwamaAt least two militant were killed in a fierce gun battle in Bahmnoo village of Pulwama district in south Kashmir on Monday, while two civilians were hit by bullets after forces fire upon people who charged towards the encounter site to help trapped militants escape, reports said.
The gun fight that started during the wee hours on Monday was going on as were the clashes between public and armed police when this report was being filed late on Monday.
It was not clear how many militants are trapped in the area, however, reports and eyewitnesses said that the body of a militant was found lying on the road while intense firing was on between militants and the government forces.
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A police official however claimed that two militants have so far been killed in the gunfight.
Reports in the evening said that a fierce exchange of fire was on, even as the forces used mortars to target the house in which militants were trapped.
Meanwhile, massive clashes were reported from the encounter site with residents of Bahmnoo and adjacent villages fighting pitched battles with the government forces deployed in the outer ring.
Over a dozen protesters were injured among them two have been shifted to Srinagar hospitals with bullet injuries.
Reports said that clashes erupted after people came out of their homes in Bahmnoo and adjacent villages and rushed towards the encounter site to help the trapped militants escape.
Government forces, they said, resorted to firing live bullets and pellets besides tear smoke shelling to break up the protests.
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Reports said that a civilian sustained a bullet injury after government forces opened fire to break up the protests.
The injured civilian was identified as Muhammad Saleem, a resident of Chawan Keller area of the district.
Saleem was shifted to District Hospital Pulwama where from he was referred to Srinagar for specialised treatment.
Earlier, another civilian Jahangir Ahmad Wagay, a resident of Abhama village, was hit with a bullet in his abdomen. He was immediately referred to Srinagar for specialized treatment.
Earlier in a separate incident people foiled a bid by Government forces to trap militants. Army had to call off the cordon and search operation launched in Malangpora village of Awantipora area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district after militants escaped the siege.
Reports said that the operation was called off at around 1 am after militants managed to give a slip to the forces.
Massive clashes had erupted in the village after forces started the operation last evening.
Unconfirmed reports said that top Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo was present along with two associates when the operation was launched in the village. With inputs from CNS
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