A local militant was killed in a fierce gun battle with Government Forces in South Kashmir’s Charsoo Awantipora area of Pulwama district. The gun battle according to eyewitnesses lasted for about 17 hour. Government Forces utilized all the resources to neutralize the trapped local militants who according to eyewitnesses gave a stiff fight to the counter insurgent groups.Sources told CNS that after receiving inputs about the presence of militants in Batapora Charsoo on Srinagar-Jammu highway, Government Forces including 42 and 55 RR, personnel from 180 and 185 Battalions of CRPF and Special Operation Group men cordoned off the house of late Gulzar Ahmed Lone to flush out the militants from the house. The militants according to eyewitnesses resisted the assault of Government Forces and resorted to indiscriminate firing. The operation that was launched by Government Forces at 9 on Thursday evening was put on hold till morning but all arrangements were put in place to foil any attempt of militants to escape from the scene.
Defence sources told CNS that militants continued to fire upon the troopers guarding the house. “The troopers blasted the house and as they started to clear the debris, militants fired upon them indiscriminately as a result they retreated from the spot. The troopers recovered the body of a militant from the debris while search was going on to trace the bodies of other militant if any,” a police official said. He identified the deceased militant as Showkat Ahmed Qasba son of Abdul Aziz resident of Bahu Awantipora. Sources told CNS that Showkat Ahmed, the father of three little kids had joined the ranks of Hizbul Mujhadeen two months ago. A police official said that Showkat, a driver by forte was involved in rifle snatching incident in Awantipora. “We recovered the same Insas rifle from his possession which he had snatched from a policeman in Awantipora market two months ago,” he said.
Reports said that soon after the encounter government forces apprehended the two sons of house owner for questioning. Locals identified them as Nisar Ahmed Lone and Showkat Ahmed Lone. Eyewitnesses said that soon after the encounter culminated, hundreds of people rushed towards encounter site demanding the handing over of the body of the militant. They added that amid pro-freedom slogans youth resorted to stone-pelting while government forces bursted tear-smoke shells to disperse the protestors. A police official said that situation in the area was tense but under control. (CNS)