Shopian: Five militants and five civilians were killed in an encounter that erupted in Badigam village of south Kashmir’s Shopian district here today.
Top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Saddam Paddar and Kashmir University Assistant Professor Muhammad Rafi Bhat were among five militants killed in the gunfight.
Amid gunfight forces also fired bullets, shotgun pellets and tear gas at protesters trying to reach the Gunbattle site, resulted in killing of five civilians including one teenage boy.
Reports said that at least 50 others civilians were also wounded during the gun fight between militants and security forces.
Police spokesman in a statement said, “the holed up militants fired heavily upon the search party. Security forces in their guarded response fired back.”
Police made repeated attempts to make the hiding militants to surrender. In the process, family members and nearby community headmen were also roped in vain to surrender them.
Others militants killed were identified as Bilal Ahmed Mahand aka Bilal Molvi of Heff area in Shopian, Adil Malik of Malikgund, Tawseef Ahmed Sheikh of Rampura Khudwani, Kulgam.
Authorities at Kashmir University postpones all exams scheduled on May 7 and suspended class work on May 7, 8.
All Kashmir University examinations scheduled to be held on May 7, 2018 (Monday) are postponed. Fresh dates shall be notified separately, later,” PRO of KU in a statement issued here said. Authorities also suspended Internet services in parts of south Kashmir and Ganderbal district.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah termed the killing of a Kashmir University professor as “an answer to those who claim jobs & development are the solution to the violence & alienation in Kashmir”.
“Sadly this is also an answer to those who claim jobs & developments are the solution to the violence & alienation in Kashmir. This is another tragic development in a steady stream of tragedies in Kashmir,” Omar wrote on Twitter.