2 JeM ultras, protester killed in Valley

The security forces continued their offensive against militants in south Kashmir region on Tuesday killing two Jasih-e-Muhammad militants and a civilian protester in a gunfight and simultaneous clashes with local people at Kandalan village in Shopian district.

A Junior Commissioned Officer and a soldier were injured in the encounter while more than two dozen protesters received wounds as the security forces stopped their advances towards the encounter site to help holed up militants escape.The separatists have called for shutdown against the recent killings on Wednesday.

General Officer Commanding-in-chief of Udhampur based Northern Command Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, who is on an extensive tour to the Valley, briefed Governor NN Vohra on the security situation.

The encounter triggered off early in the morning when a joint team of Army, CRPF and police cordoned off the area following information about the presence of militants in a residential house. As the security forces began laying siege around a cluster of houses, the locals began marching towards the area to help militants escape.

Sources said the clashes with people and gunfight continued simultaneously and in the prolonged fight two militants were killed. Director General of Police Shesh Paul Vaid said that the operation was called off after the killing of two militants, one of them identified as Babar is a Pakistani national. The local slain militant has been identified as Sameer Sheikh, a Shopian resident who joined the militant ranks in April this year.

An 18-year civilian identified as Tamsheel Khan was injured during post encounter clashes, who later succumbed to his injuries on way to Srinagar. He had reportedly been hit by bullets in his head. At least two more grievously injured youth are undergoing specialised treatment at Srinagar hospital. Police said Tamsheel was injured in cross firing near the gunfight site.

More than thirty others were reported injured during the clashes. Reports of clashes in neighbouring Pulwama district areas were also received.

The situation in Shopian and adjacent Pulwama areas was reported tense.

The authorities suspended mobile internet services in Shopian district and several adjacent areas. The broadband services were also affected in the area.

The Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), a grouping of separatist leaders has called for shutdown against the killings on Wednesday. Last weekend three youngsters, including a 16-year-old schoolgirl, were killed when Army allegedly resorted to firing to chase away a stone-pelting group in a village in Kulgam district.

Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, who is on an extensive tour to the Valley met Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhavan and shared his views and experiences on the situation emerging in the area. A Raj Bhavan Spokesman recalled the Governor’s meeting with the Army Commander late last week when the Governor had called for more cohesive Civil-Police-Army collaboration in combating anti-terrorist activities. Lt Gen Singh was called to Srinagar on a short notice by the Governor soon after three youngsters were killed in Kulgam district.

Earlier, Army Commander accompanied by XV Corps Commander Lt Gen AK Bhatt  visited the Army formations and units deployed for the Amarnath Yatra and took stock of the security and administrative arrangements. He stressed upon the need for close coordination with Civil Administration to ensure a smooth and efficient conduct of the Yatra. The Army Commander appreciated the synergy being maintained amongst all security agencies for conduct of the Amarnath Yatra.

The Army Commander visited forward posts in the frontier district of Baramulla wherein he was briefed by the commanders on ground regarding the operational and logistics preparedness. Commending the exemplary professionalism and high morale of the troops deployed along the Line of Control, Gen Ranbir Singh stressed upon the need to maintain sustained vigil to thwart any attempts of infiltration from across. The Army Commander also reinforced the need to be prepared to meet emerging security challenges effectively, a defence spokesman said.

Earlier, a man identified as father of newly recruited militant Zeenatul Islam alias Gazi Baba, died after suffering a heart attack in Memandhar village in Shopian village. Reports said Mohammad Ishaq Naikoo suffered cardiac arrest after he was told that his son was among trapped militants at Kundalan village where an encounter was raging. However, Zeenatul Islam was not among trapped militants.

Meanwhile, joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) of Kashmir comprising of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik has called for Kashmir wide shutdown tomorrow against what they called “to register protest against continuous civilian killings at the hands of security forces”.