Tangmarg, April 2, KMW: Before breaking the cordon and fleeing from the spot, militants killed a policeman and an Army soldier in Hardshora Tangmarg area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Thursday. A civilian and another soldier were also injured during the shootout.
Reports said that after receiving inputs about the presence of two to three militants in a residential house, Army personnel from 29 RR and SOG Pattan cordoned off Hardshora area. “When the search party zeroed in on the house of a civilian Ghulam Muhammad Rather, the militants present in the house started indiscriminate firing on the troopers resulting in the serious injuries of a policeman and a soldier. A civilian Manzoor Ahmed Rather was also injured when he was hit by a bullet fired by the militants,†a police official told agency adding that later on the injured soldier and the police man succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. Sources said that besides the civilian another soldier Mandeep Kumar was also injured during the encounter.
The slain soldier has been identified as Jagdesh Kumar of Uttar Pradesh and the SOG man as Muhammad Shafi (Belt number 142) of of Chenabal Pattan.
Block Medical Officer Pattan Dr Adil said that the post mortem of the slain soldier was conducted in the hospital.
A police official said that government forces exercised maximum restraint to avoid civilian causality when the militants suddenly fired upon them indiscriminately. The militants according to reports after targeting the government forces managed to flee from the spot.
Top police and Army officials including Commander Sector 10, Alok Kumar, Incharge DIG North Kashmir Ghulam Hasan Bhat and SSP Baramula Mir Suhail rushed to the spot to assess the situation.
A police handout said that on a specific information Baramulla police, 29 RR, and 176 Bn CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in village Hardshoora, Sultanpora in the jurisdiction of police station Kunzar Baramulla this morning. The militants present in the village fired upon the search party that was retaliated cautiously to avoid any collateral damages.
“Four persons including a policeman, two Armymen and a civilian were injured in the initial shoot out. The injured were shifted to the hospitals. An Army man Naagar of 29 RR and Special Police Officer Mohammad Shafi succumbed to their injuries and gave supreme sacrifice of their lives. A civilian Manzoor Ahmed Rather has been hospitalized and is stable. The militants managed to escape and the search operation has been called off.â€
