LET COMMANDER AMONG 2 ULTRAS KILLED IN VALLEY
Civilian killed in clashes between stonepelters and forces
Ahead of the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, including its self-styled divisional commander Shakoor Ahmed Dar, were killed in an encounter with security forces, while another militant surrendered, in Kulgam district of south Kashmir on Sunday, police said. The police said that a tip-off had been received about the presence of some militants in the Chedar Ban area of Qaimoh in Kulgam district, after which a team of security personnel cordoned off a house.
:Two militants, including a divisional commander of LeT, were killed in an encounter with security forces, while another militant surrendered, in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Sunday.
A civilian was also killed in subsequent street protests near the encounter site.
Army and police officials said the Sunday’s shootout started after militants opened fire on a search team of security forces in Chadderbhan village of Kulgam. They said that three militants were trapped in the encounter out of which two were killed.
State director general of police, Shesh Paul Vaid, identified one of the slain militants as Shakoor Ahmad Dar,a resident of Sopat Tengpora, divisional commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba, and another as a foreign terrorist.
Vaid said the third militant surrendered before security forces along with arms and ammunition. “The surrendered militant is a local and had joined militancy some 2-3 months ago. We followed SOP and he offered to surrender which we encouraged,” he said.
“Shakoor Dar was involved in a number of other civilian atrocities and attack on security establishments in the area.Incriminating materials and huge quantity of ammunition were also seized from the site of encounter,” the police spokesman informed, adding that the other ultra killed in encounter was identified as Haider, a resident of Pakistan.
Army spokesman Rajesh Kalia said security forces motivated the local young man, who had recently joined the terrorist cadre, to surrender during the fierce encounter, when there was a very heavy volume of fire going on the forces.
A 23-year-old young man was also killed during clashes between stone-throwing protesters and security forces in the district. Locals said local youth came out protesting and pelted stones on security forces near the encounter site, prompting the forces to fire tear gas shells at them.
A health official of the neighbouring Anantnag district said people brought a youth, Yawar Ahmad, to district hospital Anantnag who had bullet injuries in his chest.
“He was injured near the Kulgam encounter and was brought dead to the hospital. Another youth with pellet injuries in his eyes was referred to a Srinagar hospital,” the official said.
Vaid confirmed the killing of the youth and said that he was killed when security forces responded to a group of stone pelting youth in the district not near the encounter site.
TEEN INJURED NEAR ANANTNAG ENCOUNTER SUCCUMBS TO INJURIES
Another civilian, Shahid Ahmad,18, who had received a firearm injury in his head on Friday near Anantnag encounter site, also succumbed to his injuries at Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar.
Four militants believed to be influenced by IS ideology were killed by security forces in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Friday. A policeman and a civilian were also killed during the encounter.
On Wednesday, a policeman was killed and another injured after suspected militants fired upon a security forces’ vehicle at Sempora on Srinagar-Jammu Highway.
Governor’s rule was imposed in the state on Wednesday, a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party ended its alliance with the Peoples Democratic Part and three days after the Centre ordered security forces to resume counter-insurgency operations in J&K, ending a month-long halt for the Islamic holy month of Ramzan.
SEPARATISTS CALL FOR SHUTDOWN
Separatist leaders have called for a shutdown on Monday against killings of innocent civilians in the Valley.
Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik, has called for a complete shutdown against the “planned genocide of Kashmiri youth by the Indian State”, a JRL spokesman said in a statement.
The spokesman said the separatist trio have expressed serious concern over the “re-starting of operation all-out and cordon and search operation (CASO)” in Kashmir ... especially in south Kashmir which has resulted in the killing of four civilians.