Civilian, two LeT militants killed in Shopian gunfight

Samaan Lateef
Srinagar, February 25

A civilian and two militants were killed in a gunfight with security forces in south Kashmir’s Shopian on Friday, officials said.

Indian Army, police, and the Central Reserve Police Force joint launched an anti-militancy operation in Shopian’s Amshipora village in the small hours of Friday after intelligence reports hinted at the presence of militants in the area, Inspector General of Police Kashmir Vijay Kumar said.

"After a cluster of houses were cordoned off and civilians were evacuated to safety, house-to-house searches were conducted,” he said.

The officer said militants “resorted to indiscriminate firing”, forcing the security forces to retaliate. A civilian, Shakeel Ahmed Khan, was fatally wounded in the militants’ firing, he said.  He died on the way to a hospital, the officer said.

The forces identified the militants as Muzamil Ahmad Mir and Shariq Ayoob, both belonging to Shopian and affiliated with the Lashkar-eToiba. Kumar claimed Muzamil was previously associated with some militancy-related crimes.

Forces found an AK 56 assault rifle and a pistol from the encounter site, the officer said, adding that internet services had been shut down in the area “as a precaution”.