Army jawan, two civilians killed during Kashmir encounter
Srinagar, Apr 11 (IBNS) : An army jawan and two civilians, including a 16-year-old boy, were reportedly killed during a gunbattle in south Kashmir’s Khudwani area in Kulgam district on Wednesday morning, media reports said.
Another army man and a CRPF trooper suffered injuries and were evacuated to 92 Base Army Hospital in Srinagar, reports said.
The gunfight is still going on.
An official said that 2 to 3 militants are present in the village.
While official statements from the police and the army are still awaited, the reports quoted sources as saying that one soldier — identified as Sada Gunakara Rao — succumbed to injuries.
Other sources reportedly confirmed the death of two civilians- Sharjeel Ahmad Sheikh, 20 and Bilal Ahmed Tantray, 16.
They were reportedly part of a local crowd that gathered near the encounter site and pelted stones at security forces. The consequent firing by the forces left the two dead and several others injured.
The encounter in the Khudwani began after a cordon and search operation was launched in Kulgam after inputs of the presence of militants in the area.
Mobile internet services have been reportedly snapped in parts of Kulgam and Anantnag areas.
A police official said the area has been completely sealed to prevent people from moving towards the encounter site. Intermittent firing is going on between militants and security forces.
Meanwhile, Srinagar based spokesman of the Indian Army told IBNS that one army jawan sccumbed to his injuries at army hospital here, while one civilian was also were killed during the protest near encounter site.
