One killed, two injured in police firing in Kashmir

One civilian was killed and two others were critically injured when the police and security forces resorted to firing to disperse protesters at the encounter site at Krankeshivan area in north Baramullah district on Monday.

Following an encounter, which resulted in the death of a top Lashkar-e-Tayiba militant and another being arrested, people of the area came out and began pelting stones to protest the encounter.

“As the encounter ended and security forces began withdrawing, a mob indulged in stone pelting, which resulted in firing that injured the youth,” said a senior police officer.

The official added that the injured had been rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment and owing to a tensed atmosphere, authorities had mounted security in the area.

Speaking about the encounter, a senior police officer said, “A top foreign militant identified as Mehmood Bhai, who had escaped security cordons thrice earlier was killed while another militant was arrested by the forces,”

Troops from counter insurgency Rashtriya Rifles and police had jointly surrounded Krankshivan village on Sunday afternoon after receiving information on the presence of militants inside a house.

As the security forces challenged the holed up militants to surrender, they opened fire triggering an encounter which ended on Monday afternoon. The officer said one AK-47 rifle, six grenades and ammunition was recovered from the encounter site. 

Image: Security forces engage in an encounter with the militants who were holed up in a home in Sopore. Photograph: Umar Ganie