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Cop, 10 protesters suffer injuries during clashes

ESS AHMAD. Dated: 3/23/2019 12:20:56 PM

8-hour-long Shopian gunfight ends, 2 militants killed

ANANTNAG, Mar 22: Two militants were killed during an eight hour long encounter with security forces at Gadpora area of Shopian district today. During the clashes triggered by the gunfight at least 10 protesters and a cop were injured.
The gunfight, according to officials, raged in Gadpora village of Shopian at around 3.00 AM after the government forces including army, Special Operations Group (SOG) of police and Para-military men threw a ring of cordon around the village following specific input about the presence of militants in the area.
After installing search lights and tightening the siege, an official said, forces began searching the suspected houses. During the searches, the forces, he said, came in contact with militants who resorted to firing at the search party. The fire was retaliated triggering a fierce gunfight.
The gunfight ended after heavy exchange of fire in the early Friday afternoon with the killing of both the trapped militants.
Some reports said that bodies of two militants were retrieved from the gunfight site whose identity is being ascertained.
A local news gathering agency KNO, reported that bodies of one of the slain was charred beyond recognition. The news agency, quoting sources, reported that one of the slain is believed to be a Pakistani national.
However, no top police or army official was available to confirm the recovery of militant bodies and their identities.
The gunfight, witnesses said, also triggered massive clashes between forces and youth in nearby Ratnipora area.
In the morning, as soon as the news about the encounter spread in the early morning, groups of youth took to streets and clashed with the forces. The forces, local sources said, used pellet ammunition and tear-smoke shells against the stone throwing youth causing injuries to at least ten protesters. Most of the youth, health officials said, had been hit by pellets while one of them had received a gunshot wound. The injured youth were evacuated to nearby healthcare facility where from three of them, one with gunshot wound in the neck and two with pellet injuries were shifted to Srinagar hospital for advanced treatment.
During the clashes, reports suggested, a policeman identified as Tariq Ahmad also suffered severe injury after being hit by a stone. The cop, reports said, was shifted to hospital where he is undergoing treatment.