SRINAGAR: Amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan, four security personnel, including a CRPF inspector, were killed and 10 others, including a CRPF commandant, injured in a major gunfight with militants at Langate, Handwara, in the border district of Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.
A civilian was also killed and five others injured as security forces fired at protestors near the encounter site.
A police officer said acting on intelligence inputs about the presence of militants, a joint party of army, CRPF and state police laid siege around Babagund, Langate, in Handwara.
As a search operation was launched, militants hiding in a residential house opened fire on the troops. “After a brief exchange of fire, there was a lull and firing from the militant side stopped,” the officer said.
Sources said security officials believed that the holed-up militants were dead and a team of police and CRPF men went inside the house to retrieve the bodies. But, the militants opened fire at the security men from close range.
“In the militant firing two policemen and a CRPF Inspector were killed and 10 others including CRPF commandant injured,” a police officer said.
Sources said the injured security men were evacuated to the army hospital in Srinagar, where one of the critically injured CRPF man succumbed.
They said doctors have termed condition of injured CRPF commandant as critical.
After the gunfight, additional troops were rushed to take on the militants and prevent them from fleeing. “The operation was going on when report last poured in,” a police officer said.
Protester shot dead
While the gunfight was on, a group of protesters attempted to march towards the site. Police opened fire to disperse them. The 21-year-old Waseem Ahmad Mir was shot and died while being shifted to hospital. Six others were injured.