Three suspected militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Srinagar’s Batmaloo area on Thursday. The Central Reserve Police Force, in a statement, said that a civilian who was on her way to a bakery also lost her life in the crossfire.
The armed police force said they launched a cordon and search operation early on Thursday, adding that they seized weapons from the militants. The authorities said the militants opened fire when the operations team was approaching their hideout.
CRPF personnel Rahul Mathur sustained injuries on his chest and abdomen during the firing and was taken to the Army’s base hospital in Srinagar, the security forces said, adding that the officer is in a “critical condition”. Before being injured, Mathur gunned down one of the suspected militants, according to the statement.
The exchange of fire stopped later in the day, the forces said, adding that the two remaining suspected militants were later killed by a joint team of CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police.
After the death of the civilian, local residents resorted to stone-pelting, the armed forces said. “A constable of CRPF has been seriously injured in the stone-pelting,” they said. “The situation is under control.”
On August 29, security forces had killed another three suspected militants in a gunfight in Zadoora area of Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, the Kashmir Zone Police said. The police added that incriminating materials such as arms and ammunition were found on the suspected militants.
Four suspected militants were killed in Shopian on August 28 following a gunfight. A fifth suspected militant had surrendered to the security forces.
On August 17, two Central Reserve Police Force soldiers and a special police officer were killed in a gunfight with suspected militants in Baramulla district. The two CRPF jawans were initially injured in the gunfight but succumbed to their injuries after they were taken to a nearby hospital. The force said two more jawans were injured, of which one was in a critical condition.
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