Five Militants and civilian killed in South Kashmir

Kulgam, 15 Sep (Only Kashmir): Government forces on Saturday killed five Kashmiri militants including a top Hizbul Mujahideen Commander Gulzar Ahmad Padder in an encounter that took place in the wee hours at Chowgam village of Qazigund in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district of South Kashmir.
According to officials, a joint team of state and central forces launched a search operation in the intervening night in Chowgam area based on inputs about the presence of militants. During the search, the hiding militants fired upon the forces, resulting in an encounter.



The slain militants, as the statement said, belonged to HM and LeT and were all locals and were identified as Gulzar Ahmad Padder alias Saif resident of Adijan Kulgam, Faisal Ahmad Rather alias Dawood resident of Yamrach Kulgam, Zahid Ahmad Mir alias Hashim resident of Okey Kulgam, Masroor Molvi alias Abu Darda resident of Fatehpora Anantnag and Zahoor Ahmad Lone alias Rehman Bhai resident of Nagnad Noorabad Damhal Hanjipora.
A civilian, identified as Rouf Ahmad from Chee area of Islamabad district, was also killed in clashes with the government forces that ensued near the encounter site. He was hit by a bullet. Among other injured during the clashes, two persons with bullet injuries are reported to be critical.
The reports also say that South Kashmir’s Anantnag and Kulgam districts have shut against the killings of five militants. Joint Resistance Leaders (JRL), Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Dr. Mohammad Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik while paying rich tributes to the martyrs of Kulgam Qazigund and extending their sympathies with the dozens of people critically injured by the bullets of the Indian occupation forces, made fervent appeal to the freedom loving people to observe complete shutdown on Monday 17th September 2018 against turning Kashmir, especially South Kashmir into a battle field and offer funeral prayers in absentia on 16 September after Zuhar Prayers.
Meanwhile, authorities have snapped internet services in south Kashmir parts and have also suspended train services along Srinagar-Banihal route. (OK)