The militant group Hizbul Mujahideen has been given severe blow by the security forces on Sunday. The group mostly draws cadre from the Kashmir Valley. Not less than six of its cadres were killed in a counter-insugency operation in Dragged village of Shopian district in south Kashmir.

According to the security forces, not less than 13 militants were killed by them on Sunday relating to three separate encounters.

One of the encounters took place at Brunty Dialgam in Anatnag district in the Saturday night. A joint team of police, army and CRPF personnel had launched a cordon there, said Altaf Ahmad Khan, Superintendent of Police, Anantnag.

Rouf Bashir Khanday who is resident of Dehruna village of Dooru and have joined the militant group Hizbul Mujahideen last week, was also among killed. Another militant, namely Imran Rashid was captured alive.

According to the army reports, two militants were from the killed were involved in the killing of Lt Ummer Fayaz. He was killed by the group militant’s way back in 2017 during a wedding. “We have avenged his death,” AK Bhat, the corps commander of the Chinar corps.

“Two army soldiers also lost their lives in two encounters at Dialgam and Kachidoora villages,” Bhat said in a press conference held at the military base of Victor forces in Awantipora. “I appeal to the youths to not get lured by weapons. Anybody who uses weapons will be dealt with in the same manner that we dealt with the terrorists today,” he added.

Three security personnel, who were involved in the operation are said to have lost their lives in all.

As soon as the news of a third encounter spread in Kachidoora village, hundreds of protesters took to the streets and threw stones at the security forces with the hope of freeing the trapped militants in a residential area.

Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police SP Vaid said on his twitter account that on Sunday evening three bodies of militants were recovered in Kachidoora.

As the day passed, more than 100 civilians were injured due to the clashes near two gunfight operation sites in Shopian, as many people tried to move towards gunfight sites to help the militants escape the cordon. The government forces used live ammunition to disperse protesting people, triggering massive clashes, which also left at least four civilians dead. At least 50 people were brought to the district hospital located in Shopian for treatment.

Twenty of them were referred to Srinagar for more specialized treatment. Over thirty people were brought to the district hospital in Kulgam. Out of them, 22 were referred to Srinagar, as they were hardly hit by bullets.

One of the civilians killed during the encounter at Kachidoora was Zubair Ahmad Bhat who was a resident of Gopalpora village of Kulgam. After being injured during the ongoing clashes, he was admitted at the district hospital at Kulgam. He later died of his injuries there.

SP Vaid said in a press conference that one encounter is still ongoing. He further stated that 25 civilians received pellet injuries.

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