Civilians caught in Kulgam gunfight

Two trapped Lashkar-e-Taiba militants managed to escape from an encounter site after hours-long clashes with the Indian army in Kulgam district on Sunday. One Army man identified as Sada Gunakar Rao (24) of Andhra Pradesh died during the gun fight. Civilian casualties were high, with four local youths having been killed by the bullets and pellets fired by the forces during the clashes at the encounter site, and over 80 were injured. The encounter was called off at 5:30 pm on Wednesday after no body of any militant was recovered from the site.

The deaths have come a week after 13 militants, four civilians and three soldiers died in an encounter on last Sunday. The Jammu and Kashmir police have claimed that the four civilians, who died, were victims of “crossfire.” They were identified as 28-year-old Sharjeel Ahmad; Bilal Ahmad Tantray and Faisal Ilahi, both 16 years old; and the fourth is said to be 30 year old Aijaz Ahmad Palla.

Just two days back, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, where she had appealed for finding ways to end the bloodshed in Kashmir.

The Kulgam encounter has spread tension all across the Valley with a call of complete shutdown by separatist leaders; high-speed internet has been suspended in several areas by the authorities and education institutes are being kept shut.