Six terrorists were killed in two separate encounters in Kashmir valley on Thursday amid a shutdown called by separatists to resent a scholar-turned-terrorist’s death in Srinagar outskirts a day before. Two Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) terrorists were killed in a daylong gunfight in Kreeri pocket of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district while four unidentified terrorists were shot dead in Arwani village of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district in a separate gunfight that erupted in the afternoon.
Police sources said that four unidentified militants were killed in a fierce gunfight at Kharpora area of Arwani in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. The operation was going on till last reports came in from the area.
The operation began on Thursday afternoon when a joint team of army and Special Operations Group of Police launched a joint cordon-and-search operation in Kharpora area on specific information about the presence of some terrorists.
Four terrorists have been killed in the gunfight, sources said adding the operation was still going on.
The identity and the group affiliation of the slain terrorists was not ascertained.
The CASO and subsequently killing of the terrorists triggered clashes near the encounter site and its adjacent areas. The joint team of police and paramilitary troops used force to quell the protests.
Earlier, security sources said that a joint team of Army, SOG of police and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation (CASO) at Athoora village of Kreeri following input about presence of terrorists in the area.
As the forces intensified the searches and zeroed in on the suspected spot, the militants opened fire on them triggering off a gunfight.
Authorities snapped mobile internet services in Baramulla district as a precautionary security measure. Schools and colleges were closed to prevent student protests or any other law and order situation.
Reports of clashes between protesters and security forces poured in from the adjacent areas of Athoora village. Reports said youth took to streets chanting pro-freedom slogans and pelted rocks at the security forces.
Train services also remained suspended on the fourth day in Kashmir valley in view of the shutdown called by Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) led by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik against the killing of scholar-turned-militant Sabzar Sofi and his aide in Nowgam pocket of Srinagar on Wednesday. The train services have been badly hit in the Valley since the authorities conducted Urban Local Body polls. The polls concluded last week.
Eight militants were killed in three consecutive gunfights since Wednesday impacting normal life in the region. Two local Hizbul Mujahideen militants including a research scholar turned terrorist Sabzar Sofi were killed in a gunfight in the outskirts of Srinagar.
Meanwhile, the normal life remained affected across Kashmir due to shutdown observed against the terrorist killings in Srinagar outskirts.
The JRL had called for the shutdown. Even as businesses and public transport remained affected due to shutdown, the functioning in government offices remained least affected and the examinations were conducted according to schedule.
