At least two militant have been killed in a fierce gun battle in Bahmnoo village of Pulwama district in south Kashmir on Monday, police said.The gun fight that started during the wee hours on Monday was going on till the filing of this report. It was not clear how many militants are trapped in the area, however, reports and eyewitnesses said that the body of a militant was found lying on the road while the militants and the government forces were exchanging bullets.A police official however claimed that two militants have so far been killed in the gunfight.Reports said that a fierce exchange of fire is still going on, even as the forces used mortars to target the militants trapped inside.Meanwhile, massive clashes were going on in Bahmnoo and adjacent villages with people fighting pitched battles with forces.Over a dozen protesters were injured among them two have been shifted to Srinagar hospitals after they suffered bullet injuries.Reports said that clashes erupted after people took to streets in Bahmnoo and adjacent villages to help the trapped militants escape.
Government forces, they said, resorted to firing and pellet and tear smoke shelling to break up the protests.Reports said that a civilian sustained a bullet injury after government forces opened fire to break up the stone pelting protests near the site. The injured civilian was identified as Muhammad Saleem, a resident of Chawan Keller area of the district. Saleem was shifted to District Hospital Pulwama where from he was referred to Srinagar for specialised treatment. Earlier, another civilian Jahangir Ahmad Wagay, a resident of Abhama village, was hit with a bullet in his abdomen. He was immediately referred to Srinagar for specialized treatment.When this report was being filed, the gun fight had been going on in the area while clashes between protesters and the government forces were also going on.Meanwhile, Government forces called off the cordon and search operation launched in Malangpora village of Awantipora area of South kashmir's Pulwama district after militants escaped the siege.Reports said that the operation was called off around 1 am after militants managed to give a slip to the forces.Massive clashes had erupted in the village after forces started the operation last evening.Unconfirmed reports said that top Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo was present along with two associates when the operation was launched in the village. (CNS)