Gun Battles: 11 militants, 3 Army men & 2 civilians killed

Srinagar: At least eleven militants, three soldiers and two civilians were killed in three different gun battles and clashes in south Kashmir’s Shopian and Anantnag districts on Sunday.

Reports reaching here said that more than 100 civilians were injured in clashes that erupted is the adjacent areas of gun battle sites.

Director General of Police on Sunday said that 11 militants were killed in a gunfight in three different gun battles.

“Yes, the total number of terrorists neutralised in today’s three encounters is 11. The number could rise after the rubble of the house is removed,” Director General of Police, S P Vaid wrote on micro-blogging site, Twitter.

DGP while addressing a press conference here said that south Kashmir witnessed one of the biggest encounters of recent days. He said two soldiers were killed in the encounter at Kachdoora in Shopian and the operation is still going on.

Vaid said 25 civilians were injured by pellets in the subsequent clashes between the angry youth and police. He said six civilians were hit by bullets of which two died, one each at Kachdoora and Draggad.

Vaid was here to address a news conference along with Lt Gen A K Bhat, the Commander of the Srinagar based 15 corps.

On Sunday morning, gun battles started at three different locations in the south Kashmir. Among the 11 militants, seven militants and two civilians were killed in Dragad, three in Kachdoora and one militant was killed in Dialgam.

All the seven militants that were killed in Dragad on Sunday have been identified as natives of Shopian district.

The slain militants were identified as Zubair Turray, Ishfaq Ahmad Malik, Yawar Itoo, Nazim Ahmad Dar, Adil Ahmad Thoker, Ubaid Ahmad Malla and Riyaz Ahmad Thokar – all residents of Shopian district.

Meanwhile, Joint Resistance Leadership on Sunday called for a strike in Kashmir valley today and tomorrow in view of militant killings in the south Kashmir gunfights.

The trio – Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik, had asked people to suspend business and other activities and offer funeral prayers in absentia at 4 PM across Kashmir valley.

Scores of people and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front activists including JKLF Chief Yasin Malik on Sunday offered funeral prayers in absentia at Sarai Balla Masjid for the militants who were killed in different gun battles.

However, Hurriyat Conference Chairperson Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq were put under house arrest. (KNS)