Four militants were killed on Saturday in a gunfight with the government forces in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, even as eleven civilians were injured in subsequent clashes.
A police spokesman said that a cordon and search operation (CASO) was launched today morning jointly by the police and government forces in Hanjan Payeen area of Pulwama.
“As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the militants. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight,” he said.
He said four militants were killed and their bodies were recovered from the site of the gunfight. “Their identities and affiliations are being ascertained,” he said.
However, a source identified them as Muzamil Nabi Dar of Rohmoo, Muzamil Nazir Bhat of Prichoo, Waseem Akram Wani of Tikken and a non-local Haris. He said the bodies of the slain local militants were handed over to the next of their kin.
Incriminating materials, including arms and ammunition, were recovered from the site of gunfight, said the spokesman.
Reports said that the slain militants belonged to Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) outfit.
The spokesman said the encounter has ended, and advised people not to visit the site of the gunfight as there is an apprehension of some explosives being present there.
Meanwhile, clashes broke out near the gunfight site between protesters and the forces immediately after the gunfight began.
A health official said that eleven protesters were injured in clashes with the forces. While ten of them were being treated at Public Health Centre Rajpora, one with head injury was referred to SMHS hospital in Srinagar for specialised treatment.
