SOUTH KASHMIR SEETHES AFTER 7 DIE IN KULGAM ENCOUNTER

Restive south Kashmir was seething again after seven people, including four militants and two soldiers, were killed in an encounter in Kulgam, 70 km from Srinagar, on Sunday.

It all began when four militants, who were holed up in a house in Nagbal village of Frisal area, were surrounded by security forces during the night. A gunfight erupted on Sunday morning when they opened fire at a search party.“the terrorists had taken the owner’s son hostage. We had no option but to storm the house,” said Army Brigadier R. Chakarwarty.“while doing so, two soldiers and a civilian were shot by the terrorists. Later, all the terrorists were killed by the security forces.”

Clashes occurred between government forces and protesters in the aftermath of the battle and at least 25 people were injured including 12 with bullet injuries, authorities said.

Three militants managed to escape, and a heavy police contingent has been deployed in the area “to maintain law and order”, police added. According to figures released by two hospitals in south Kashmir, 15 civilians were treated, including 12 with bullet injuries. One of the injured civilians, succumbed to injuries in a Srinagar hospital.

In a joint statement, separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik called a shutdown for February 13 and ‘Kulgam march’ for February 15.“People of J&K are not war-mongers. It’s India’s stubbornness that is at the root of all the bloodshed,” Mr. Geelani said.

(T)HE SRINAGAR HINDU/

AFP , 12.02.2017