The security forces fired aerial shots to disperse protesters in a village in south Kashmir’s Shopian area on Saturday moments after a prolonged cordon and search operation was lifted.
The area was under siege since Friday evening following reports that a group of militants was hiding in the area. Except for a brief exchange of fire Friday night, there was no firing between the two sides.
Source said a brief encounter erupted late on Friday evening after Army and counter-insurgency wing of police launched a cordon and search operation in Chilipora-Sugan-Heff pocket of Zainapora in Shopian district.
They had information that militants were hiding in that belt. However, after the initial exchange of fire, there was a complete lull throughout the night.
During the searches in the area since Saturday morning, no contact was established with the militants. local sources said that the militants managed to escape from the area. Security sources said the operation ended without any causality from either side.
Reports said that while the cordon was being lifted, some youngsters hurled stones on the security men while shouting slogans. The security personnel fired aerial shots to disperse the stone-pelters.
A fierce gunbattle broke out late on Saturday evening in Tral on the city outskirts here after security forces cordoned off a house where three to five top Hizbul Mujahideen militants were holed up.
Officials sources said special forces of army were deployed to carry out a combing operation in the area.
Curfew has been clamped in this area, 10 km from here, as protesters had gathered near the encounter site, they said.
Half of the house was brought down by the security forces but militants were still firing on them.