5 ultras killed in Valley, civilian dies in clashes
SRINAGAR: Five militants were killed in a counter-insurgency operation in Kilora village of South Kashmir’s Shopian district that started overnight and stretched into Saturday. A civilian died and two others were injured in Gunawpora in the same district when security forces opened fire on protestors at the funeral of one of the slain militants.
The operation was launched on Friday night by the Army and the Special Operations Group of the police after they received information about the presence of militants in Kilora. In the initial exchange of fire, one of the militants died on Friday night. He was identified as a commander of the Lashkar-eTaiba in Shopian.
Four more were killed in the village on Saturday, away from the house where the militants had been hiding through the night. Defence spokesman Rajesh Kalia said: “One militant was killed on Friday night while four more bodies were recovered today in the morning.”
A police spokesman said the encounter took place in an open area after the militants, who were in hiding, took advantage of the darkness and came out of the house where they had been holed up and sprayed gunfire on the security forces. “The fire was retaliated and in the ensuing encounter, five militants were killed. The identity of the killed militants is being ascertained,” the spokesman said. ››ROW OVER ART 35, P6