A personal security officer of the Station House Officer of Tral Police Station was killed and two others sustained injuries when a fierce gunbattle commenced between miltants who were holed up and security forces in Tral area of South Kashmir on Monday morning.
Official sources told The Hindu that the PSO of SHO Tral, constable Mushtaq Ahmad, got killed in the initial exchange of gunfire between the militants and Police at Midora, Tral, 40 Kms from here. One J&K Police constable and one Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, who sustained injuries, were evacuated to a hospital.
Reports said that troops of Rashtriya Rifles 42 battalion also joined the operations. Well-placed sources revealed to this newspaper that three Kashmiri cadres of Hizbul Mujahideen, including the outfit’s top commander for South Kashmir, Shabir Hayina, [could be actually a militant from Nayina Batpora village], were believed to be trapped. Gunbattle was reportedly continuing.
Sources said that two or three of his associates had gone to see the ailing commander Shabir at his hideout. Soon, the Police and security forces received a tip off and they launched an operation. Sources said that despite the initial armed resistance, the holed up militants failed to escape from the cordoned area. Four soldiers of Army and a militant had died at Buchhoo village of Tral in a fierce gunbattle on May 24.
Shutdown in Valley
Meanwhile, a day-long shutdown is being observed in Kashmir valley over the two civilian killings by army in Sumbal area of North Kashmir. On Sunday, curfew was imposed and a murder case filed against Rashtriya Rifles 13 battalion for the death of two youths of Markundal and Kondabal in two incidents of firing.
Reports said that most of the shops, business establishments, including many government offices and educational institutions were closed due to the shutdown called by most of the separatist groups as a mark of protest. Incident of stone pelting were reported in the forenoon from six places including Palhalan and Budgam.
The bustling tourist season has been suddenly hit with the two deaths in Sumbal as the movement of thousands of the domestic and foreign tourists has been restricted for fear of stone pelting.
Militants kill two policemen in Srinagar:
Security personnel keep vigil near the spot after two policemen were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Lal Chowk area Srinagar on Saturday.
Three days ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir, militants shot dead two constables in an uptown business hub in broad daylight here.
Senior Superintendent of Police (Srinagar) Syed Ashiq Hussain Bukhari told The Hindu that two unidentified militants fired pistol shots on head constable Mohammad Maqbool of Pinglena Pulwama and constable Nazir Ahmed of Kulgam, when they were on duty on crowded Hari Singh High Street on Saturday.
Targeted with silencer-fitted pistols in point-blank range, one of the policemen died on the spot while the other succumbed to injuries at a hospital. Ishrat, a young woman from Ganderbal, sustained gunshot injuries in the arm. Doctors said she is out of danger.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit J&K on June 25.
Hizbul Mujahideen spokesman Baleeguddin told some local news agencies over telephone that members of his organisation had attacked the police party.
The incident has increased tension in the security circles as the militants were believed to have used a motorcycle to carry out the attack. Besides, the attack happened at a time when the police and security forces were on a high alert — frisking pedestrians and checking vehicles at several places.
No comments:
Post a Comment