Two militants were killed and four people, including two CRPF jawans, were wounded in a shootout on the outskirts of Srinagar on Tuesday evening. Police sources said the militants were travelling in a pick-up van towards south Kashmir when they were intercepted at Sampora near Pampore, 10 kilometers from here.
Sources said that police had established a checking point near Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) located on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway after receiving input that militants were traveling in the area.
Vehicle-to-vehicle checking was going on when a pick-up van with the registration number of south Kashmir’s Shopian district attempted to avoid the procedure.
Police said militants opened fire and hurled grenades from the van and tried to escape from the area. However, police retaliated and shot them in an encounter that lasted a few minutes. The militants had attempted to take positions in the EDI building but they were shot in the courtyard of the building.
Superintendent of Police Muhammad Irshad said two militants have been killed in the shootout.
Two civilians Riyaz Ahmad Dar and Asiya Rehman also received injuries in the shootout besides two CRPF personnel parvinder Kumar and Muhammad Iqbal lone, both belonging to 23rd battalion. The identity of slain militants and their allegiance was not immediately established. After the shootout, hundreds of vehicles got stranded on the highway for several hours.