Srinagar
Seven civilians were killed and at least 36 injured in clashes that erupted after three militants, all locals, were shot dead in a gunfight at Pulwama’s Sirnoo village today. The killing of civilians triggered fresh tension in the Valley with major markets observing a shutdown.

Two soldiers were critically injured in the encounter. One of them, Kisan Singh, 29, a resident of Churu in Rajasthan, succumbed later, a defence official said.The slain militants were identified as Army deserter Zahoor Ahmad Thokar, associated with the Hizbul Mujahideen, who had gone missing from his unit in north Kashmir’s Baramulla in July; Adnan Hamid Bhat of Karimabad; and Bilal Ahmed Magrey of Rajpora.

The Medical Superintendent of the Pulwama district hospital, Abdul Rashid Parra, said most of the civilians had died of bullet injuries in the head, neck and chest. One of them, Abid Hussain, 26, a resident of Karimabad, had returned from Indonesia after MBA. He is survived by his Indonesian wife and a three-month-old child.

The other casualties were Aaquib Ahmad Bhat of Prichoo, Tauseef Ahmed Mir of Uri Chursoo, Liyaqat Ahmed Dar of Parigam, Aamir Ahmed Paul of Ashmandir, Suhail Ahmed of Bellow and Shabaz Ahmed of Monghama.

Munir Khan, Additional DGP , called the deaths “unfortunate”. He said during the pre-dawn operation against the militants, who were entrenched in an orchard, local youths thronged the site and began to hurl stones at the security personnel. “It was not a built-up area that we could have sanitised before launching the operation,” Khan explained. The injured, however, alleged excessive force. “The forces fired indiscriminately,” they claimed.