Conflict

Shopian: Civilian killed, two others injured in clashes which erupted after slain militant’s burial

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Srinagar: A civilian was killed and two others injured when army opened fire on protesters in Ganowpora village of Shopian in south Kashmir.

Reports said that protesters hurled stones on armed forces soon after the funeral prayers of a militant Arshad Ahmad Khan in Ganowpora who was killed along with four associates in Kiloora village earlier today.

They said that army men retaliated by firing live ammunition, resulting in injuries to three persons.

The injured were shifted to district hospital Shopian where one of them, identified as Bilal Ahmad Khan, was declared dead on arrival. The deceased was a resident of Pooju village of the district.

Earlier, four more bodies of militants were recovered from the site of the ongoing gunfight that took place in Kilora village of south Kashmir’s Shopian district, Army reported. The death toll has risen to five.

An official identified four militants bodies as Arshad Ahmad of Ganowpora Balpora, Waqar Ahmad Sheikh of Malikgund, Aijaz Ahmad Paul of Lousdanew and Umar Malik of Malikgund.

Internet services have been suspended as a ‘precautionary measure’. An official said that both the mobile Internet and Broadband service were suspended “as a precautionary measure” to prevent protests.

An army spokesman said that four more bodies of the militants were recovered from the gunfight site today. He said weapons were also recovered from them.

DGP SP Vaid said the militants are “learnt to be part of Lashkar-e-Toiba militant outfit”.

Meanwhile, clashes erupted between civilians and armed forces near the gunfight site in Kiloora village.

Reports stated that youth took to streets and clashed with the forces deployed in the village to disrupt the ongoing operation against the militants trapped inside a residential house. At least twenty protesters have been injured, reports said.

Hospital sources told Greater Kashmir that at least twenty people were brought to District Hospital Shopian for treatment.

He said five injured were referred to a hospital in Srinagar for specialized treatment. One of the injured has been hit by a bullet in his shoulder while four others were hit by pellets.

Earlier, on Friday night, a militant was killed and the body recovered after exchange of fire erupted following joint search operations by the armed forces and state police in Kilora village.

In Drusoo village of Sopore on Friday, two militants were killed and an army man and a policeman injured during an ongoing gunfight between militants and armed forces.

An official confirmed that two bodies of the militants were recovered from the site of the gunfight.

A soldier and the cop sustained injures in the fresh exchange of fire, GNS news agency quoted SSP Sopore Javaid Iqbal as having said.

He said that both the injured have been evacuated and taken to a hospital for treatment.

Earlier, Javaid said a cordon-and-search operation was launched at Drusoo village following specific information about the presence of two militants inside a residential house.

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