A militant was killed in an encounter in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district while as a vast area was cordoned off in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district to track down a group of militants, official sources said. Clashes erupted between protesters and police near the encounter site in Pulwama resulted into injuries to more than a dozen persons from both sides.
Sources said an encounter erupted between militants and security forces on Tuesday afternoon in Gadoora village of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. A group of militants was passing through the area when security forces received tip-off and cordoned the area. Sources said scores of locals including women came out of and engaged in clashes with security forces near encounter site apparently to provide safe passage to the holed up militants in the area.
Police clashed with the protesters who attacked the personnel with stones. In police action, more than a dozen protesters were injured. Police said that several personnel were wounded with stones.
later in the night, a body believed to be that of a holed up militant was spotted in the area. There was no word on the identity of the
militant.
Meanwhile, another cordon and search operation was launched by security forces in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district following specific information about the presence of some militants. Reports said the brief encounter triggered when security forces advanced in the forest area of Dardpora in lolab where three to four militants were believed to be hiding.
The additional reinforcement of security forces was rushed to the area to assist in combing operation. A senior police official said that there was no contact with militants during search operation after initial brief encounter with the unidentified militants in the morning.
Meanwhile, a live hand grenade was found near a nallah in Kralpora area of Kupwara district, which was later defused by Bomb Disposal Squad.
Spokesman of Defence Ministry said that the operations were underway in both the areas in Kashmir valley till last reports came in from the area.