SRINAGAR: A government employee was killed during an overnight counter-insurgency operation in south Kashmir's Kulgam district, but the militants managed to give security forces the slip, officials said today.
The security forces including army launched a counter-insurgency operation in Chancer area of Kulgam district last night, following information about presence of ultras in the area, police officials said.
The officials said an employee of the Fisheries Department, Assadullah Kumar, was killed in the firing that broke out minutes after the security forces had cordoned off the area.
An army official said the operation was called off this morning after the security forces did not find any militant.
The militants might have escaped taking advantage of darkness, the official said.
However, the official was tight-lipped about the death of the civilian.
Meanwhile, local residents staged a protest against the killing of Kumar and blocked Srinagar-Jammu National Highway at Vessu.