Army calls off operation after facing stiff resistance from locals in South Kashmir

5 Dariya News

Pulwama 18-Feb-2017

Army on Saturday called their counter insurgency operation after facing stiff resistance from local populace who in hundreds hit to roads and pelted stones on the government forces in Urivan hamlet of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.The incident occurred two days after District Magistrate issued advisory asking people to stay away from encounter sites. Police sources told news agency CNS that after receiving inputs about the presence two Lashkar-e-Toiba militants, Army personnel from 55 Rashtriya Rifles, Special Operation Group of Jammu Kashmir Police from Pulwama and Newa cordoned off Urivan village. Sources added that shortly after the siege, government forces when started a combing operation, the local population attacked Army and SOG personnel with stones. However, the government forces exercised maximum restraint while in a bid to keep locals away from the village, they called reinforcement that extended cordon to adjoining village.Witnesses said that as the cordon was extended; hundreds of people from dozens of villages including Newa, Namun, Kakapora and Zadoora hit to raods and resorted to massive stone-pelting. Government Forces retaliated with massive tear-smoke shelling. The clashes that lasted for over an hour left many locals injured.Reports said that in wake of massive stone-pelting and protest, government forces called off the operation. Witnesses said that as the security vehicles retreated, local protesters again attacked them.The Srinagar based Defence spokesperson could not be contacted as his phone was switched off.(CNS)