Tension however gripped the area after a 15-year-old schoolboy was killed after being hit by a bullet during the protest demonstrations near the encounter site.
Stepping up offensive against the ultras ahead of the next month's by-polls for two parliamentary seats, security forces killed two top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants in a fierce encounter at Padgampora village of South Kashmir's Pulwama district.
Tension however gripped the area after a 15-year-old schoolboy was killed after being hit by a bullet during the protest demonstrations near the encounter site. Another civilian was brought dead to the hospital. This is the first killing of a civilian after army chief General Bipin Rawat warned protesters against trying to disrupt the anti militancy operations.
This is the second gun-battle in the last four days in the militancy-infested south Kashmir that is going to polls on April 12. On Sunday, two Hizbul Mujahedeen militants and a policeman were killed in a 15-hour-long gun-battle at Burhan Wani's hometown of Tral in South Kashmir.
Director General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir Dr SP Vaid told DNA two militants have been killed in the encounter.
The slain militants were identified as Mohammad Shafi Wagay alias Shafi Gujari alias Ehsan and Jahangir Ahmad Ganie alias Safi-ul-lah, affiliated with LeT. Police had even brought the wife and child of Shafi Gujari to the encounter site to persuade him to surrender. But Wagay and was ultimately killed in the encounter.
Police said the encounter broke out after security forces cordoned off the village following the specific intelligence inputs about the presence of militants in the area. When the troops were closing in on the targeted house, they came under heavy fire from the militants. In the ensuing encounter both ultras were killed.
"These militants were involved in many incidents of violence including killing of security force, police personnel and political activists. They were also involved in threatening general masses to refrain from forthcoming elections and motivating youth to join militant ranks.They were also involved in recent bank robberies and weapon snatching incidents in South and Central Kashmir," said a police spokesman.
Massive protests rocked the area with people trying to march towards the encounter site. Protesters pelted stones and tried to break the cordon to reach to the encounter site to disrupt the operation and help the militants to flee from the scene. Security forces however lobbed smoke shells to quell the mob.
In a separate encounter, security forces killed a top Hizbul Mujhadeen militant at Bandipora district of North Kashmir. Police said Mushtaq Ahmad Shergojri fired at a joint naka party of 14 Rashtriya Riffles and police during the routine checking. Security forces immediately retaliated in which Mushtaq was killed. An army officer was injured in the incident.
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