Anantnag
South Kashmir is on the edge after four more local militants were killed in an encounter that erupted at Kiloora village of Shopian district on Friday evening. A civilian was killed later when clashes broke out during the funeral of one militant.

With the killing of four militants, the toll in Shopian gunfight has risen to five as top militant commander of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) Umar Malik was gunned down on Friday evening.

A senior police official from Shopian said the militants were hiding in a house when the operation was launched.

“They fired indiscriminately to escape,” he said, adding that Umar Malik was killed in the initial gunfight.

The other four, he said, managed to sneak into a nearby orchard following which a cordon was laid.

“They were killed this morning in the exchange of fire,” the official said.

The slain four militants were identified as LeT commander Arshid Ahmad Khan; Waqar Aslam Sheikh and Aijaz Ahmad Paul of the Al-Badr. The fifth militant has been identified as Arif Mir of Yannar, Pahalgam.

As the gunfight resumed this morning, a large number people tried to march towards the gunfight site and threw stones at the forces to help militants escape. The security men used force to disperse the protesting youth, leaving at least 43 persons injured, officials said.

Militants, believed to be two or three in number, including wanted Pakistani ultra Naveed Jatt, appeared at the funeral of Malik and offered a “gun salute”.

Militants also appeared at the funeral of Arshid Khan at Ganawpora village of the district. The sources said as the militants were attending the funeral, the security forces cordoned off the area. It was here a protester was killed and another was injured critically when the security forces allegedly opened fire at stone-throwing youth.