Security forces said Wednesday that three local militants were killed in an encounter in Lawaypora on the outskirts of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir.
The families of those killed, however, refuted the forces’ claim and said that the youths killed in the encounter were civilians. Families held a protest in front of the police control room in Srinagar.
The meeting began on Tuesday night after the J&K police, the army and the CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in the town near the national highway after information on the presence of militants.
Security sources told the Hindustan Times that the army had received the supplies, and the joint forces subsequently launched an operation in the area.
Late at night, sources said the operation stopped and all entry and exit points into the area were completely sealed. The army claimed that the militants killed in the encounter were planning a major attack on the national highway.
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At a press conference, Commanding General Officer (GoC) Kilo Force HS Sahi said: “We had been receiving information about the militant movement on the national highway. The operation was launched last night after receiving information that militants were inside a house near the national highway. They were asked to surrender, however, they responded with shots and the operation was called off for the night. When the operation resumed in the morning, they were again offered surrender; however, they again began firing and throwing grenades at the forces, which gave us an indication that they had no intention of surrendering. “
The families of the three young men killed in the encounter identified them as Zubair Ahmad from Turkawangam Shopian, Ajaz Maqbool and Athar Mushtaq from Putrigam Pulwama.
The families said they were students and yesterday they had left their home and alleged that they were arrested and later killed in an encounter.
The former prime minister of J&K and president of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, Mehbooba Mufti, said that the authorities should clarify this meeting.
“Concerned that in recent months after Shopian’s fake encounter, other families also at J&K have alleged their children were innocent and killed in an organized gathering. Authorities need to clarify this,” Mehbooba tweeted along with a video of family members that they protested. of the young people killed in the encounter.
Stone-throwing was also reported in the area even after the operation ended on Wednesday.
So far 203 militants have been killed in J&K this year, including 166 local militants, most of them killed in four districts in southern Kashmir. Security forces also arrested 49 militants and secured the delivery of nine of them during the year, an official said.
There have been 96 incidents related to terrorism in 2020. While 43 civilians were killed, another 92 suffered injuries in these incidents, they said. In 2019, 47 civilians were killed and 185 people were injured, the official added.
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