Tension gripped Naina hamlet of Pulwama district in South Kashmir late Tuesday evening when forces launched search operation. Three suspected militants were said to be taking refuge in the village. At dawn as encounter started afresh between the militants and forces early Wednesday, Bilal Bahadur took diverse routes to reach the spot, and capture the encounter live. By dusk, he was back in Kashmir Life newsroom with pictures of day’s actions in South Kashmir
It was late Tuesday evening around 9 PM that forces said that suspected opened fire on them in Nayeena hamlet of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Naina and its peripheries were cordoned and search began. The operation was called off late night. Three suspected militants were hiding inside the village.
On early Wednesday, forces established contact with the militants again and encounter ensued.
Around noon today, forces recovered a body from the encounter site. The slain militant was identified as Sharik Ahmad of Bandina village in Pulwama.
Police said that he belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit. A residential house was destroyed by forces while fighting the militant. Troops of the 55 Rashtriya Rifles of Indian army, 182 and 183 battalion of Central Reserve Police Force and special operations group of the state police had surrounded the house on Tuesday evening.
Following the death of the Hizb Militant, intense clashes erupted near the encounter site with angry youth pelting stones on the forces deployed in the area. An unarmed youth was killed in forces action.
Later in its bulletin to press, Police spokesperson said, “during the uncontrolled rioting, three protestors got firearm injuries, out of which, one Parvaiz Ahmed Guroo resident of Naina later succumbed to his injuries.” It filed a case FIR No. 10/16 and 11/16 in PS Pulwama.
Amid heavy pro-freedom and anti-India slogans, the militant and the youth were laid to rest in their respective hamlets.
Hurriyat patriarch, Syed Ali Geelani, called for complete shutdown in South Kashmir on Thursday against the killings.
