Jammu and Kashmir: Security forces gun down 2 Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, teenager killed in crossfire

Two militants and a teenager were killed and two girls critically injured during a gunbattle between security forces and Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists in a remote village of Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district.

The develoment was confirmed by Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Shesh Paul Vaid on Twitter.

“In an encounter today at Saigund (Chaigund) Shopian, two terrorists have been neutralised and weapons have been recovered. Unfortunately, one boy was also killed in the crossfire and two ladies have sustained injuries. Search is still going on,” tweeted Vaid.

The killed Hizbul Mujahideen militants have been identified as Sameer Ahmad Wani and Firdous Ahmad. The duo were residents  of Shopian district.

Joint security forces including state police, 14 RR and CRPF launched an operation in the area after they received intelligence inputs about Hizbul Mujahideen militants camping at Saigund village.

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According to sources, while the encounter was underway, local youths took to streets to protest presence of security forces, allegedly chanted anti-India slogans and hurled stones to help terrorists evade the encounter site.

Jammu and Kashmir Police claimed that the civilian casualty occurred during crossfire between Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists and security forces.

However, Kashmir’s chief Muslim cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in a tweet alleged that the security forces indiscriminately opened fire on protesters.