The encounter between terrorists and security forces in Babagund, Handwara area enters the third day. Five security personnel, three from CRPF and two state policemen have been martyred and a civilian has lost his life during the encounter, reported ANI.
Reportedly, the encounter began on Friday morning when security forces launched a search operation in the area in north Kashmir, following information about the presence of terrorists near Handwara. However, the police were not aware of the number of terrorists hiding in the residential houses at Babagund village.
On Friday the army had said that two terrorists who were hiding in the village have been killed. The terrorists hiding inside the house started to fire against the security forces when they advanced towards the house where terrorists were hiding.
Shockingly, a group of youngsters clashed with security agencies near the encounter site on Friday in which several protesters were injured in security forces’ action.
Three Central Reserve Police Force personnel, including one CRPF personnel who succumbed to injuries on Sunday and two state policemen, lost their lives during the encounter and eight others including a commandant were injured in the 60-hour encounter. One civilian was also killed in the firing and several others were injured following clashes near the encounter site on Friday.
The Union government’s hardline policy against Pakistani backed Islamic terror in Kashmir seems to have yielded results as the terrorism in Kashmir is believed to have entered its final stages. The terrorists in the valley facing huge failures have become desperate and indiscriminately attacking civilians and security personnel across the valley. In a massive crackdown, the NIA had recently conducted raids on Pakistani backed Hurriyat and other separatists in relation with the terror-funding case.
The NIA has raided seven locations including, the residences of Moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik, in Srinagar. Apart from these, houses of Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Zafar Akbar Bhat, Naseem Geelani, Masrat Alam, and Shabir Ahmed Shah were also raided.
On February 28, the Government of India had banned Jamaat-e-Islami following the ghastly terror attack in Pulwama. The banned outfit is suspected to be funding the terror organisation Hizbul Mujahideen. Nearly 350 leaders of the organization have been detained by the government, 70-Srinagar based bank accounts have been seized, and assets worth Rs 52 crore have been confiscated and action have been initiated under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.