The killing of a suspected militant sparked violent protest in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Thursday.
Reports and eyewitnesses told that a group of gunmen fired upon a security patrolling party near Chapran Argam area of Bandipora on Wednesday night. Shortly after the incident, the patrolling party sought assistance while the troopers cordoned off the area. The operation was halted for the night while at dawn troopers from 13 Rashtriya Rifles fired some shells on the house of one owned by a local Sher Jan. During search and combing operation the body of a ‘militant’ was recovered from the damaged house.
Sources said that militants were five in number while four managed to escape from the scene. As the news about the killing of a militant spread in the area, large number of people including women assembled outside Army camp demanding the body of the slain youth be handed over to them for last rites.
In a bid to disperse the protesters the troopers fired tear-smoke shells while people hurled rocks on them. The clashes left more than 12 people wounded. Witnesses said that one of the youth suffered multiple pellet injuries and was shifted to SMHS hospital Srinagar for treatment.
A police official told CNS that the slain militant was not a local and after post mortem his body was shifted to Uri where it was laid to rest with proper religious rites.
(CNS)