6 militants killed in Jammu and Kashmir, jawan dies

Srinagar: Three “district commanders” were among the six militants killed in a fierce pre-dawn gunfight with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s southern Shopian district on Sunday, officials said. An Army jawan was also killed in the clash.

Soon after the encounter, irate crowds took to the streets and clashed with the security forces. The latter fired live ammunition to quell the protesters and stone-pelting mobs, resulting in the death of a teenager.

In another blow to Paki-stan-based Lashker-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen, six of its militants, including a Pakistani involved in slaughtering of civilians, were killed in an encounter Sunday, along with a soldier and a civilian, in a village of South Kashmir’s Shopian district, police said. 

The police said that based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in Batagund area of Kapran of Shopian district, a cordon and search operation was launched in the night jointly by the police and security forces in the area. As the searches were going on, the miltants fired upon the search party which retaliated effectively leading to an encounter. 

“Initially, one jawan of 34 RR sustained injuries in the exchange of fire. He was evacuated to the hospital and is stated to be stable now,” the police said. “Another jawan identified as Nazir Ahmad of 34 RR who was grievously injured in the final phase of the encounter has succumbed and attained martyrdom,” the police added. 

One militant was identified Mushtaq Ahmad Mir of Shopian who, the police said, was involved in motivating innocent youths into the terrorist fold and also demanding money from public for strengthening Lashker cadre. The others were identified as Mohamm-ad Abass Bhatt and Kha-lid Farooq Malik.    —PTI