BATHINDA SEPOY AMONG 6 KILLED IN KASHMIR
UNREST Casualties include two civilians and a soldier, three ultras killed in two encounters as state remains on edge in run up to local elections
Two civilians were among six people killed in four separate incidents of violence in the Kashmir Valley on Thursday.
In Anantnag, a soldier and a militant were killed in an exchange of fire. The soldier has been identified as sepoy Happy Singh, a Bathinda resident. Security forces killed two militants holed up in a mosque at Pandan Chadoora in central Kashmir’s Budgam. In north Kashmir’s Kupwara, an unidentified man was killed in the Chowkibal area, the police said.
In Srinagar, a civilian, Saleem Malik, was killed in a search operation, in what the police described as “indiscriminate firing by militants” before they fled the scene. A civilian was also killed in Kupwara after being allegedly hit by army bulllet.
The spike in violence comes ahead of local bodies’ polls in Jammu and Kashmir from October to December. The polls are seen as part of the Centre’s efforts to turn the tide in the state, where local militant recruitment and violence have escalated since Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani’s killing in July 2016.
SRINAGAR: Three militants, two civilians and a soldier were killed in five separate incidents across Kashmir on Thursday.
An army spokesman said a militant was killed in an encounter in Gasigung in south Kashmir’s Anantnag’s district; a soldier, too, died in the cross-firing that ensued. The slain soldier has been identified as sepoy Happy Singh of 19 Rashtriya Rifle, who hailed Bathinda, Punjab.
A pall of gloom descended on Ram Nagar village near Maur as the news of sepoy’s death reached here. Happy was recruited in the army six years back and was serving in the 19 Rashtriya Rifles. He is survived by his father Devraj Singh, elder brothers Baljit Singh, who is also in the army, and Gurdit Singh, and a sister.
The Bathinda deputy commissioner said the body will reach his native village on Friday.
Police said the militant was identified as Asif Malik, a local who was operating as a commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist organisation. “He was part of several attacks on security forces, including the killing of CRPF personnel in Achabal earlier this year, and in many other cases of civilian atrocities,” a police spokesman said.
Two CRPF personnel were killed when militants attacked a force party at Achabal on July 13. Malik was part of the group that attacked the personnel.
At Pandan Chadoora in central Kashmir’s Budgam, two militants who were holed up in a mosque were killed by the security forces on Thursday.
They were killed in a cordonand-search operation in the early hours. According to police, security forces initially threaded cautiously as the militants fired at a search party from the mosque. The local auqaf, or mosque managing committee, was called in which tried to convince them to surrender but they refused, after which an encounter ensued, police said.
“We tried to maintain the sanctity of that place but militants fired indiscriminately. Two men from the army and a CRPF jawan were injured. The militants were ultimately killed,” said superintendent of police (SP), Budgam, Tejinder Singh. Army official Colonel Rajesh Kalia said they resorted to “controlled” firing and killed the militants after a “protracted” operation.
The two militants were identified as Shiraz Ahmad Bhat of Chadoora and Irfan Ah Dar of Pulwama. Dar was working as a special police officer and had deserted the force a couple of months ago.
In Srinagar’s Noorbagh, police said they began a cordon-and search operations looking for militants. Few militants who were hiding began firing indiscriminately. In the cross-firing, a civilian, identified as Saleem Malik, died, a senior police officer said. However, Saleem’s family denied the police version of events and alleged security forces targeted him. “He owned a flock of sheep. After he heard some noise outside, he woke up and thought thieves were trying to steal his sheep. When he came out to have a look at the shed, the forces opened fire,” said Saleem’s uncle, Mohammad Yaseen.
In north Kashmir’s Kupwara, an unidentified man was killed during an army ambush in the Chowkibal area, police said. He was hit by a bullet during an army operation.
“The man was killed in an army ambush. He was challenged and there were some warning shots during which he was hit by a bullet,” said Kupwara SSP Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar.
The SSP said he appeared to be a non-local.
CIVILIANS DEATH CONDEMNED
Separatists of the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) con- demned the killing of the civilian and called for a shutdown on Friday. “State terror has been unleashed under CASO(cordon and search operation) to wipe out and harass Kashmiri’s unabashedly!” Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq tweeted.
Protests erupted at Noorbagh soon after Saleem’s death. Security forces fired tear gas shells to disperse youths who had gathered for his funeral.
Mobile internet services were suspended in south and central Kashmir and restrictions were imposed to prevent protests.