Srinagar, Dec 15(DC): Seven civilians were killed and many injured when security forces fired live ammunition to quell violent protests in Jammu and Kashmir's southern Pulwama district on Saturday, witnesses and hospital sources said.
The clashes erupted during and after a gunfight between militants and security forces in Pulwama's Kharpora Sirnoo village in which three militants and a soldier died, the police sources said.
The officials said that the gun fight broke out soon after a cordon-and-search operation was launched jointly by the Army’s 55 Rashtriya Rifles, J&K police’s counterinsurgency Special Operations group (SOG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)’s 182 and 183 battalions in the village.
They added that the security forces moved into the village after receiving “credible” information about the presence of militants in a private house at Kharpora Sirnoo.
“The terrorists hiding in the area opened fire on the security forces triggering the gun battle in which three terrorists were killed and a soldier was critically injured,” said defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia.
Police sources identified the slain militants as Zahoor Ahmed Thokar, Adnan Hamid Bhat and Bilal Ahmed Magray -- all local Kashmiris belonging to Hizb-ul-Mujahideen outfit. Sources said Thokar, a resident of the same village where the encounter took place, was a former soldier who had deserted his Army unit to join militant ranks some time ago.
While the encounter was underway, surging crowds, comprising mainly youth, made repeated attempts to relocate to the site and then clashed with the security forces.
At least, seven people were killed and many others injured when the security forces fired live ammunition to quell the protesters and stone-pelting mob during and after the encounter, reports received here from Pulwama said.
Six of the civilians who died on the spot or on way to hospital have been identified as Shahbaz Ali, Suhail Ahmed, Liaquat Ahmed, Murtaza Ahmed, Amir Ahmed Palla and Abid Hussain Lone. One of the critically injured civilians Rauseef Ahmed Mir has succumbed in Srinagar’s government-run Sri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital.
Fifteen other seriously injured civilians have been admitted to different hospital of Srinagar.
The situation in entire south Kashmir is very tense and the authorities are contemplating to impose curfew in some towns “as a precautionary measure”. Meanwhile, protests over the Pulwama killings by angry crowds have broken out in some other parts of the Valley including north-western town of Sopore also.
Former chief minister and National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah termed it “horrible day” and blood-soaked weekend in Kashmir.
“Another blood-soaked weekend in Kashmir. 6 protestors killed, 1 soldier killed in the line of duty. Together with the 3 militants from this morning’s encounter that’s 10 dead. Reports of many injured at the encounter site. What a horrible day!” Abdullah tweeted.