Militant killed in Kokernag gunfight: Police

Srinagar, Jan 9: Police on Tuesday said that a Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militant was killed in a gunfight with security forces in Kokernag forests in south Kashmir.
According to the official handout, Kokernag police along with 19RR and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in Pehlipora village of Larnoo in the jurisdiction of Police Station Kokernag.
During the searches, militant hiding in the area fired upon the joint search team. The fire was retaliated, ensuing an encounter.
“One militant was killed in the encounter and was identified as Farhan Ahmad Wani, Son of Ghulam Mohammad Wani, resident of Redwani Khudwani, Kulgam,” police said.
Police said that one INSAS rifle, two INSAS magazines and 42 rounds were recovered from the encounter site.
Meanwhile, mobile Internet service has been suspended in the twin districts of Anantnag and Kulgam.
Clashes erupted in Larnoo area after youth took to streets and staged protests to disrupt the anti-militant operation.
Reports said soon after the news about the encounter spread, civilians, mostly youth took to streets in the area and started pelting stones on security forces who resorted to tear gas shelling to disperse them. Authorities snapped Internet services in the district to prevent ‘rumor mongering’ on social media.
The encounter comes a day after one militant was killed in a similar gunfight in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Monday. Two militants reportedly escaped from Monday’s encounter.