Curfew in Pulwama after 2 ‘militants’ killed, 7 protesters injured in firing

The J&K Police on Friday claimed to have killed two Lashkar militants in south Kashmir's Pulwama district who were involved in the grenade attack on a cab that left four tourists dead in July this year. As the encounter was in progress, seven civilians were injured when the police and the Army opened fire on villagers who were protesting against the search operation.

On a tip-off, the state police along with the 55 Rashtriya Rifles and the CRPF launched an operation in Bubgam village in Pulwama district early on Friday morning. As the security forces started search operations in the village militants fired on the search party. This led to an encounter in which two local militants were killed.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, South Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said the slain militants have been identified as Imtiyaz Ahmed Teli alias Fahadullah Kashmiri of Pulwama and Mohammad Amir Bhat alias Khalid of Shopian.

"Both were involved in the grenade attack in Bijbehara in which four women tourists were killed in July," he said.

Kumar said as per initial investigations, Teli was also involved in a grenade attack at Narwal in November in which one person had died and five were injured.

"An Army Major, a Captain and a policeman also received injures in the encounter," the DIG said. "When the injured Major was being evacuated for treatment a mob attacked the ambulance at Pulwama by hurling stones. In the retaliatory action seven persons sustained injuries. All the injured were shifted to Srinagar where they are being treated," he added.

Locals said the security forces opened fire at Budgam village and Pulwama town when people took out a protest march against the operation. They said 15 civilians sustained injuries when the forces opened fire on villagers at the two places.

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