Shopain encounter Update: Three militants martyred in fierce gun battle => In a fierce gun battle between militants and government forces at Karewa, Manlo village of South Kashmir’s Shopian district, three Jaish militants have reportedly been martyred while the house in which they were held up was completely destroyed. Meanwhile, clashes between government forces and locals erupted near Narpora hamlet after people from Drabgam and its adjacent villages tried to move towards encounter site after the reports that a local militant from Drabgam had been martyred in the encounter. Police sources told CNS that acting on a specific information, Shopian police, 44 Army personnel from Rshtriya Rifles and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation at village Karewa, Manlo in the jurisdiction of police station Shopian. Eyewitnesses told CNS that during the search operation militants fired upon search party from the house of one Farooq Ahmed Bhat son of Abdul Rashid Bhat. The Army retaliated and as a result the fierce gun battle between holed up militants and government forces started. “We had information that three Jaish militants were present in a house. We accordingly cordoned off the village and started a search operation. The militants fired upon the searching party that was retaliated with the same force,” a police official told CNS. Sources told CNS that one of the militants in a bid to fled from the spot jumped from the window. “During his escape bid the militant continuously fired upon the Army and he was killed after government forces retaliated,” a police official said adding that the slain militant has been identified as Muhammad Asif Wani son of Abdul Razak resident of Drubgam Pulwama. Another militant according to sources has been identified as Shabir Ahmed and sources said that he belongs to Rajouri. The identification of the third militant was not ascertained yet. A police official told CNS that they are trying to retrieving the bodies from the debris. “Once the bodies are retrieved, we would disclose their identity,” he said. (CNS)
Posted on: Fri, 25 Apr 2014 14:28:59 +0000