Two soldiers have been killed in Kashmir’s Shopian district where security forces were locked in a gunfight with suspected militants since Saturday evening, army officials said on Sunday.
The gun battle began when a team of local police and the Indian army launched searches in Avneera village. Militants opened fire in an apparent attempt to break the cordon.
“Details will be released once families are informed,” an army official said. At-least three more soldiers have been wounded.
Separately, in north Kashmir’s Bandipora, two policemen were wounded when they were shot by suspected militants, and a civilian succumbed to his injuries from a petrol bomb attack in Srinagar.
On Saturday evening, Kashmir’s inspector general of police, Muneer Khan told a local newspaper that several militants were surrounded by forces in Shopian, but another bunch was shooting at the security team from an open area outside the cordon.
Residents said that locals rushed out of their homes to protest and pelt stones on the forces as soon as firing started. The police responded by firing tear gas shells and pellets.
In the morning on Sunday, police control room Shopian said that a house in which militants were hiding had been blown up. News agency ANI quoted the state’s senior superintendent of police as saying that one militant had been killed.
In north Kashmir, suspected militants opened fire after police and army started a cordon and search operation at Wahab Parray Mohalla in Hajin area of Bandipora district.
A Srinagar-based police spokesman said that the firing wounded two police personnel.
“Injured police personnel have been referred to hospital,” the spokesman said.
The official further said that the cordon and search operation was still going on in the area.
