7 civilians die in blast after J&K encounter
3 militants killed, two soldiers injured in hourslong battle in south Kashmir’s Kulgam
SRINAGAR: Seven civilians were killed in Kashmir’s Kulgam on Sunday in an explosion at the site of a gun battle between militants and security forces after the encounter ended with the death of the three Jaish-e-mohammed members, the police said.
Police spokesperson Manoj Kumar said the civilians were killed by “stray explosives” after they rushed to the encounter site, despite a warning by security forces. Locals earlier arrived at the spot and began shouting slogans and throwing stones at the troops after they heard about the ongoing encounter, the police said.
The three militants were killed in a house after the gunfight broke out early on Sunday after security forces began a cordon-and-search operation following reports of the presence of militants in Laroo village. The police said once the firing stopped, local residents went too close to the encounter site before security forces could sanitise the area.
Kumar said civilians had been advised to stay away from the spot. “They didn’t listen and visited the spot immediately after the forces withdrew... Some explosive substance went off resulting in injuries to civilians,” the spokesperson said.
While Kulgam deputy commissioner Shamim Ahmad Wani said six civilians were killed and 30 injured, superintendent of police Harmeet Singh later confirmed the seventh death.
While officials couldn’t immediately confirm the ages of the deceased, locals said one of the seven was in his teens and the others were in their early 20s.
The incident comes after a civilian was among four people killed last week in a shootout in Srinagar. The deaths of civilians triggered anger among locals, who asked why the encounter site was not cordoned off to people.
A resident of Kulgam said the house where the incident took place was damaged in the encounter. “I was at a distance when people started entering en masse into the house. Suddenly, there was a blast due to which people were flung into the air. Had security forces cleared the debris, this would not have happened,” he said, asking not to be named.
The Kulgam SP said the police left the area after retrieving bodies of the three militants because the house was on fire.
“There was stone pelting by locals as well. If we would have stayed, there could have been clashes with stone pelters. So, using public address system we advised people not to move near the house till it cools down and we clear it of any explosives in the evening. But people did not listen,” he said. Singh said the three militants, identified as Shahid Ahmad, Zubair and Ayaz Makroo, were all locals belonging to the Jaish-e-mohammed.