Tension gripped Kashmir after two civilians were killed and 14 others injured in an encounter that left four militants and two soldiers dead.
The militants were killed after security forces cordoned off a militant hideout at Frisal in Kulgam district on Saturday night.
Commanding office I Sector Brigadier Chakraborty said the "militants killed a civilian hostage after army entered into the house to rescue him''.
“At 11.30 pm on Saturday, police informed us about the presence of four militants in Frisal village,'' Chakraborty said. ''We cordoned four to five houses at around 12 in the night.'' Later, we came to know that a civilian is also inside the house.''.
He said the operation was delayed due to the presence of a civilian inside the house. He said the army contacted the Auquaf Committee of Frisal and they asked the militants to release the civilian through the loudspeaker.
“For the first time we have seen terrorists holding a civilian hostage," Chakraborty said.
He said that to save the life of the hostage, they were left with no option but to storm the house.
"Seeing us, the civilian came running but the militants opened fire in which he and two of our soldiers were martyred.”
The slain soldiers were identified as Naik Bhandoriya Gopal Singh of Gokul Chand Chali Chamanpura village of Ahmedabad and Sepoy Raghubeer Singh of Makholi village of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand.
The 33-year-old Lance Naik Bhandoriya is survived by wife B.Hemavati. And the 31-year-old Sepoy Raghubeer Singh is survived by his wife Rekha. Three other soldiers suffered injuries in the encounter and have been shifted to the army hospital for treatment.
"After retrieving the bodies, we launched the operation in which four militants were killed. Two of them belong to Lashkar-e-Toiba and two are from Hizbul Mujahedeen," said Brigadier Chakraborty.
As the encounter was on, a large number of people tried to march towards the site raising pro-freedom slogans. They started pelting stones on the security forces who were enforcing the cordon. Due to intense stone pelting, several security forces vehicles including a Mine Protecting Vehicle were hit.
The security forces opened fired bullets and pellets injuring 15 civilians. One of them later succumbed to his wounds in the hospital. The clashes created tension in the area that spilled over to other parts of south Kashmir and beyond.
Separatists leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani, JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik and moderate Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq condemned the use of force against civilians and warned that such acts will never be tolerated.
