Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Dec 19: Two militants including divisional commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) were killed in an overnight encounter while a woman was killed and 40 others were injured in the clashes that broke out after the gun battle in Shopian district of South Kashmir.
The divisional commander of the JeM was among two militants killed in an overnight encounter in Bata Murran village of Shopian while another militant fled from the encounter site by taking advantage of the darkness.
Police said that the militants were involved in a number of incidents including the recent attack on the vehicle of J&K Bank near Poju Shopian on December 11 in which two bank guards were killed.
Acting on a specific input, Police along with 44 RR and 14 Battalion of CRPF cordoned off a cluster of houses at village Bata Murran, Shopian last evening after inputs about presence of militants hiding in the village.
As the cordon was being laid, militants fired upon the security forces leading to an encounter. The security forces strengthened the cordon around the village to prevent them from fleeing and evacuated the civilians from the houses where militants were trapped.
Police said that during the encounter, on the request of family, police made repeated announcement to get one of the local militants, Tanveer, surrendered, which he ignored.
“Two JeM militants were killed in the encounter and have been identified as Tanveer Ahmad from Bata Murran Shopian and Ali alias Qari, a foreign militant. Two AK rifles and other allied ammunition were recovered from the encounter site,” the spokesman said.
A soldier from 44 RR and a police man of Shopian police were also injured during the encounter. Their condition is stated to be stable.
Massive clashes broke out near the encounter site at Bata Murran Wanpora in Shopian this morning after the killing of two militants.
Security forces fired tear smoke and fired some aerial shots to disperse them, resulting in the injuries to more than 40 persons including a woman identified as Rubby Jan, 24, alias Beauty wife of Manzoor Ahmad Mir. Twelve of the injured received bullet and pellet injuries.
All the injured were initially shifted to local hospital where Rubby Jan succumbed to injuries as she had received gunshot in her abdomen. The 12 injured have been shifted to Srinagar for treatment.
A police spokesman said: “during cross firing one lady identified as Ruby alias Beauty wife of Manzoor Ahmad Mir of Bata Murran got critical injured who later succumbed to her injuries at District hospital Pulwama. Nine civilians were also injured whose condition is said to be stable.”
In the meantime, separatists have called for shutdown against killing of woman at Shopian and a man at Kupwara.
Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik appealed to the people to shutdown their offices, business establishments, transport and other activities for one day against the killing of Ruby Jan and Asif Iqbal of Kupwara.
In the meantime, chairman of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was placed under house arrest today to prevent a protests tomorrow. “Placed under #House arrest again, while the inhuman brutal killings of #Kashmiris including our young women continue and the collaborators who reside over them sing paeans of their masters!” tweeted Mirwaiz.
In order to prevent any violence in Srinagar, authorities have imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar falling under the jurisdiction of seven Police Station of Ràinawari, Nowhatta, Khanyar, M R Gunj, Safakadal, Maisuma and Kralkhud.
In the meantime, militants this evening hurled a grenade towards District Police Lines (DPL) Pulwama in South Kashmir. The grenade missed the intended target and exploded on the road. Police also fired in air and launched searches around the DPL. However, no one was arrested.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti has expressed grief over the death of a young girl during a search operation in the Bata Murran village of Shopian district today.
The Chief Minister said that it is very unfortunate that a web of violence has been cast in which the local and innocent civilians of the State have been caught. She said she has been reiterating that both civil society and the Government have to work together to end this cycle of violence in the State.
Mehbooba expressed sympathies with the bereaved family.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister has expressed concern over the alleged incident of assault of two Kashmiri youth in the Sanjay Nagar area of Bengaluru city few days ago. She has asked the Karnataka administration to take action against the culprits and ensure the safety of youth from Jammu & Kashmir in their State.
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