Army commando, four militants killed

Anantnag, November 20

Army commando Vijay Kumar of 23 Para, who belonged to Sagwan village in Bhiwani, and four Hizb militants were killed in a gunfight in Shopian district today, while three soldiers — Sepoy Shailender Singh of 34 RR and Lance Naik Somveer and Havildar Bhupinder Singh of 23 Para — were injured. 

At least four civilians, including two women, were injured in clashes that erupted even as the encounter was underway. “Three had bullet injuries and one pellet injuries,” a doctor said. 

“During a search operation, a joint team of the police, Army and CRPF zeroed in on a house in Nadigam village where the militants were holed up. They opened indiscriminate fire. In the retaliatory fire, four  were killed,” a police official said. 

He identified them as Abid Nazir Chopan, Basharat Nengroo, Mehraj-ud-Din Najar and Malik Zada Inam-ul-Haq, all residents of Shopian.  “They were affiliated with Hizbul Mujahideen and were involved in attacks on security establishments," he added.

Meanwhile, militants freed a youth, Parvez Ahmad Wani, of Batmuran village of Shopian early today, after shooting him in the leg. Of the nine youths abducted from Shopian in the past few days, two were killed and six were let off with a warning. — TNS

Hurriyat leader shot dead, wife wounded

Anantnag:  Hafizullah Mir of the separatist Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH) was shot dead outside his home in Achabal area of Anantnag district, 60 km south of Srinagar, on Tuesday morning. His wife was wounded.