Three militants were killed in an encounter between them and the forces in Panzgam village of Awantipora area in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district that broke out in the intervening night of Friday-Saturday, police sources said.Police sources said that the encounter broke out in the intervening night of Friday-Saturday at around 02:00 am and ended in the wee hours of Saturday morning.The slain militants, affiliated with Hizbul Mujahideen, were identified as Ishfaq Baba of Tahab, Ishfaq Dar of Dogripora and Haseb Paul of Brao Badan.Sources said that in the intervening night of Friday-Saturday, forces cordoned off Panzgam village following specific inputs about the presence of militants.“As soon as the forces cordoned off the village, the holed up militants opened fire resulting in an encounter,” a police official said.In a statement issued to KNS, defense spokesman said that a large quantity of arms, ammunition and other war like stores have been recovered including three AK 47 Rifles, six magazine and 85 rounds of AK 47 Rifles from the encounter site. The funeral prayers of three Hizb militants were held in their native villages in which thousands of people participated during which pro-freedom slogans were raised. The militants according to locals were later laid buried in martyr’s graveyard.
Meanwhile, 18 year old youth was injured in a grenade explosion at the encounter site after the gunfight was over, he said.He said some people had assembled at the encounter site when a grenade lying there suddenly went off.The youth identified as Vakeel Ahmed, was injured in the explosion and was taken to Srinagar’s SKIMS medical institute for treatment.The condition of an injured youth according to the SKIMS officials is stable.
Meanwhile, following the killings of three Hizb militants, clashes erupted between youth and forces in Pulwama town.Eye-witnesses told KNS that a large number of protesters, mostly youth took to streets in Tahab and Bandina villages of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district and pelted stones to police and paramilitary forces after the three militants were killed in an encounter. Police disbursed to tear smoke shells to disperse the protesters, they said. A complete shutdown was observed across the district against the killings of three Hizb militants.Meanwhile, mobile as well as internet services were suspended in the district for five years due to which the people of the district had to face tremendous hardships. “The internet as well as mobile services for suspended from 11:00 am and was restored near about after five hours,” the locals told KNS.Meanwhile, authorities also suspended train services between Banihal and Srinagar to prevent protests against killing of three Hizb militants. An official according to the reports has said that the services have been suspended for a day due to “law and order situation”. (KNS)