Two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants including a top commander – whom police blame for masterminding deadly attacks on cops – were killed in a fierce gunfight at Dialgam area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Saturday. Earlier, a woman and a youth have been killed after forces used pellet guns and tear smoke shells to disperse the protesting people.The LeT commander Bashir Ahmad Wani alias Bashir Lashkar, an A plus-plus category militant who carried 10 lakh rupees bounty on head, of Sopshali Kokernag and Azad Ahmad Malik alias Dada, resident of Arwani Bijbehara were killed in a joint operation of army and police at Dialgam. Police said that Bashir Lashkar masterminded Achabal attack in which six cops including SHO Feroz were killed.Earlier, a joint team of army’s 19RR, CRPF and SOG laid a siege at Tangwara, a small hamlet adjacent to Brenty village of Dialgam late last night following specific information about the presence of some militants. Soon after the news about the encounter spread in the area, a large number of people took to streets and tried to approach towards the encounter site amid pelting stones on the forces, they said, adding that forces used tear smoke shells to disperse the protesting people.A police spokesman gunfight between the militants and the government forces raged after siege was laid in the area following specific inputs.
A woman Tahira Begium (43) w/o Abdul Rashid Chopan of Brenty village sustained serious injuries and was shifted to nearby hospital for treatment in a firing incident during the protests, police said. However, the doctors who operated upon the woman declared her brought dead on arrival, it said.The locals however blamed forces for killing of women during protests.”While the cordon was being laid some militants outside a house fired upon the security personnel which was retaliated. In the cross firing one lady sustained injuries and later on succumbed,” the police spokesman said. Amid siege persisted, another youth injured in clashes died.Reports said amid siege, at least five persons received injuries after paramilitary CRPF and police used tear smoke shells and pellet guns to disperse the group of youth who were approaching towards the encounter site at Tangwara. “All the injured have been hospitalised, however, a seriously injured Shadab succumbed to injuries,” they added. Police said the 17 civilians who were inside the house where militants were trapped were rescued.After the house was cleared of civilians, police and army blasted the house and it resulted in the killing of the two militants. Soon after the news about the killing of two militants including Bashir, clashes broke out at Kokernag, Pulwama and areas adjoining to Dialgam between youths and government forces. Many civilians were injured in the clashes amid complete shutdown.(GNS)