“While one civilian was rescued Thursday evening, the other – a minor – was killed during the operation”

Agencies

Srinagar, March 22:

Four militants and a minor were killed in separate gunfights on Friday in Shopian and Bandipora districts of Jammu and Kashmir, taking the number of militants killed over the past 24 hours to five, officials said.

Two militants were killed in an overnight gunbattle in Hajin area of Bandipora district, an army official said.

The operation against the militants was started on Thursday but the security forces had to proceed with caution as two civilians were stuck in the house where militants were trapped, police said.

While one civilian was rescued Thursday evening, the other — a minor — was killed during the operation, a police official said.

Witnesses said that he forces razed the house to the ground during the operation. All the three bodies – two militants and the minor boy – were charred.

Two militants were killed on Friday in an encounter with the forces in Shopian district.

The forces launched a cordon and search operation in Imamsahib area of Shopian in south Kashmir following information about presence of militants there, the army official said.

He said the militants opened fired on the forces, who retaliated, triggering a gun battle.

Two militants were killed so far in the operation, the official said, adding that the identity and group affiliation of the slain was being ascertained.

Another gun battle broke out between militants and forces in Sopore area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, a police official said.

He said no casualties have been reported so far in the operation that is going on in Warpora area of Sopore.

Two Jaish-e-Mohammad militants were killed in an encounter with the forces at Kalantara in Baramulla district on Thursday while three security force personnel, including an officer, suffered injuries during the operation.

A police spokesman said one of the slain militants was Amir Rasool, a local from Sopore, while the other was a non local.