SRINAGAR (AA): Two militants and an Indian soldier were killed in ashootout on the outskirts of Srinagar, the capital of Indian-administeredJammu and Kashmir, on Wednesday, a top police official said.
In a news conference, police chief Dilbagh Singh said the gun battle tookplace when three militants traveling on a motorbike opened fire on a checkpost along a busy highway near Parimpora area.
“When stopped, one of the militants got down and opened fire on thesoldiers with a pistol,” he said. “We returned fire.”
He said that constable Ramesh Ranjan was killed after being hit in the headfrom a close range while two militants were shot dead in the ensuinggunfight.
The third militant, the police chief added, who was injured and caughtalive, was taken to hospital.
Singh said the militants belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba andIslamic State Jammu and Kashmir, which showed that militant organizationswere still in coordination with each other.
Two pistols and two grenades were also recovered from the deceased, hesaid, adding that over 20 militants and three security personnel had beenkilled in 2020 so far.
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However, Hamida Bano, aunt of the injured man, Umer Fayaz Bhat, refuted thepolice chief’s claim that he was a militant.
She said that Umer owns a shop near the shootout site and was injured incrossfire.
The gunfight occurred on the day Pakistan and Kashmiris worldwide areobserving Kashmir Solidarity Day, marked on Feb. 5 every year, to extendmoral support to people in the disputed region.
This year, the day is being observed in the backdrop of India’s decision torevoke the disputed state’s autonomy.