Four soldiers, including an Army Major, were martyred and four terrorists were killed, and at least a dozen security men, including two officers, were injured in two separate encounters in north Kashmir’s Bandipora and Kupwara districts on Tuesday.
The twin encounters took place two days after a fierce encounter in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district. The three encounters resulted into heavy casualties on terrorists and security forces.
Sources said the first fierce gunfight took place in the wee hours of Tuesday when a joint team of security forces — Army, paramilitary CRPF and State police — cordoned off Parray Mohalla area of Hajin village in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district. The pocket was on the Intelligence radar for quite some time with reports of terrorist presence within the residential areas.
“While the cordon was being laid, terrorists opened indiscriminate fire in a bid to escape from the area.
During the bout of firing, at least a dozen security personnel, including an Army Major and a CRPF commandant were wounded.
Three soldiers later succumbed to their injuries,” sources said.
In the retaliatory fire, a terrorist belonging to lashkar-e-Tayyeba (leT) outfit was killed in the gunfight. Sources said during the intense firing some terrorists succeeded in breaking the cordon to escape.
The injured soldiers and officers were immediately evacuated from the area for treatment. The injured CRPF officer was identified as Chetan Cheetah, who had suffered fatal head injury. He is reported to be critical. Sources at the 92 Base Hospital said the officer may require neurosurgical intervention. Sources added the officer will be airlifted to Delhi for advanced treatment.
Hundreds of local people took to streets in the area when the gunfight was raging. The security forces had a tough time to deal with the law and order situation. They fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesting youngsters who pelted stones on the security personnel to hamper the anti-militancy operation.
later in the evening, security forces cordoned off Khan Mohalla in Hajin Kralgund area of north Kashmir’s Handwara belt in Kupwara district following information that a group of terrorists was hiding there. Soon after the village was besieged, an encounter triggered off between terrorists and security forces resulting into the killing of three terrorists.
The identity and affiliation of the terrorists was being ascertained, sources said. Deputy Inspector General of Police (north Kashmir) Nitish Kumar said one trooper was injured and three militants were killed in the encounter.
Meanwhile, elaborating on Bandipora encounter, the sources said militants and security forces locked horns in Hajin village on at least six occasions in the past two months. The holed up terrorists managed to give slip to the security forces on five occasions while on January 19, a top lashkar commander who was nephew of Mumbai attacks mastermind Zakiur Rehman lakhvi, was killed in a gunfight. During the contacts with the security forces, the local people provided support and shelter to the terrorists, sources said.
The security forces have stepped up campaign to track down terrorists in Kashmir Valley. During the latest campaign, 16 militants, ten of them locals, have been killed since January 1. Five Army soldiers were also killed in these gunfights.