A Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist was killed in a gunfight with security forces in Larnoo area of south Kashmir’s Kokernag pocket on Tuesday while a civilian protester was shot dead after the security forces used force to quell protests in the slain terrorists native village.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed anguish over the killing of a civilian while the deputy commissioner ordered probe into the incident.
A police spokesman said that the security forces received inputs about the presence of militants in Pehlipora village of Kokenag in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
“During the searches, terrorist hiding in the area fired upon the joint search team. The fire was retaliated, ensuing an encounter,” police spokesman said adding that during the encounter one local terrorist identified as Farhan Ahmad Wani, a resident of Redwani in Khudwani pocket of Anantnag was killed. Sources said the terrorists attempted to move towards the forested area but the cordon and search operation was extended to track down the terrorists. During the operation, Wani was shot dead.
Police Chief Shesh Paul Vaid in a tweet said that two terrorists were killed in the gunfight. However, sources said that body of Farhan was retrieved and there was no other body on the encounter site. Reports said that the news about Wani’s killing triggered clashes in his native Khudwani area and the security forces resorted to firing t quell the protests.
Sources said that two youths received bullet injuries during these clashes. One of them identified as Khalid Hussain Dar later succumbed to his injuries. According to hospital sources Khalid had bullet injury in his neck.
The area was tense till late in the evening as people in large numbers hit the streets to stage protests against the killings. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed deep anguish over the killing of Khalid Hussain Dar, a resident of Redwani Payeen.
The Chief Minister has directed the district administration to conduct a probe to know the reasons of the killing and come up with a report at the earliest.
Accordingly, the Deputy Commissioner, Kulgam, Talat Parvez has appointed Additional District Development Commissioner, Kulgam as the inquiry officer to ascertain the facts about the death of the said youth. He has been asked to submit a report with two weeks