2 militants, Army soldier killed in Sopore gunfight

Srinagar, Aug 03: Two militants and an army soldier were killed in a gunfight at Drusoo village of Dangiwacha area of Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Reports said that a joint team of Army’s 22 RR and SOG launched a cordon at Drusoo village in Bharampora area of Watergam late Thursday night.
The forces later laid concertina wires and installed generator sets for lighting purpose in the village amid the cordon-and-search operation, they said.
SSP Sopore Javid Iqbal also confirmed that a cordon-and-search operation was launched at Drusoo village following specific information about the presence of two militants inside a residential house.
As the searches were underway, the hiding militants opened fire upon the forces triggering off a gunfight, he said.
The gunfight continued intermittently till wee hours today, he said, adding that the fresh gunfight later resumed again at around9:15 am.
“Two militants have been killed during the operation which concluded today in the afternoon,” SSP said.
The slain militants were identified as Reyaz Ahmad Dar of Naseerabad, Chinkipora, Sopore and Khursheed Ahmad Malik son of Ghulam Nabi Malik of Arabal Nikas, Pulwama who was missing since Tuesday morning. Khursheed has completed his B. Tech through a college in Katra district of Jammu region.
A police spokesman in a statement said that two army soldiers and a policeman also received injuries in the operation.
All the three injured were evacuated to nearby hospital where from they have been shifted to 92 base hospital Srinagar where Sawar Vijay Kumar succumbed to injuries, the spokesman said.
“While the searches in the area were going on, aware about the militants ’ presence, police made efforts to persuade the hiding terrorists to surrender but they were unrelenting and fired on the search party initiating a gunfight,” the spokesman claimed.
Meanwhile, the bodies of the slain militants were handed over to their respective families for last rites.
While as thousands of people participated in the funeral prayers of Reyaz in Chinkipora Sopore, the body of the Khursheed reached Pulwama this evening and was yet to be buried.
Meanwhile, there was spontaneous strike in parts of Baramulla. Schools and other educational institutions were closed in most of the district on the orders by local administration. The internet also remained snapped for second consecutive day.