By Zahid Rafiq
SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir (AA) – Indian armed forces on Sunday killed five militants, including a top commander and a university professor, in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the police in the region, the gunbattle began early on Sunday morning in Badigam village of Shopian.
“Encounter concluded at Badigam Zainpora Shopian, 5 bodies of terrorists recovered. Well done boys – Army/ CRPF/J&K Police,” Shesh Paul Vaid, police chief in the region wrote on Twitter.
Among the slain militants, three have been identified as Saddam Padder, a top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit; Touseef Sheikh, another top militant; and Mohammad Rafi Bhat, a sociology professor at the Kashmir University who is believed to have recently joined militant ranks.
The police claimed that a civilian was injured in the cross-firing and succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.
However, locals said there was a protest going on near the gunbattle site in support of the militants and the Indian forces opened fire on the protesters.
According to police spokesman Manoj Pandita, an army soldier and a policeman were also injured in the gunbattle.
On Saturday, three militants were also killed in a gunbattle while a civilian protestor was allegedly mowed down by a police vehicle.
Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full. A small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China.
The two countries have fought three wars — in 1948, 1965 and 1971 — since they were partitioned in 1947, two of which were fought over Kashmir.
Also, in Siachen glacier in northern Kashmir, Indian and Pakistani troops have fought intermittently since 1984. A cease-fire came into effect in 2003.
Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence, or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.
According to several human rights organizations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.
