Srinagar: Three civilian protesters were injured in clashes with armed forces in Bijbehara area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Friday.
Reports said that the civilians staged massive protests in Bijbehara following the killing of six militants in Shalgund village today morning.
According to reports, forces fired live ammunition and tear gas at the protesters who were pelting them with stones, leading to three being injured.
The injured were shifted to sub-district hospital Bijbehara for treatment from one with a bullet injury was referred to a hospital in Srinagar for specialized treatment.
Among the six militants killed in a gunfight with armed forces in Sutkipora area of Bijbehara in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district include Azad Malik, who police claim was involved in the assassination of journalist and Rising Kashmir editor, Shujaat Bukhari in Srinagar.
Bukhari was assassinated on June 14 by unidentified gunmen outside his office in Srinagar, a day before Eid and few minutes before Iftaar (breaking of Fast during Ramzan). Bukhari succumbed to his injuries and was declared dead on arrival.
As per a report by Kashmir Reader in which police sources were cited, Azad Malik of Arwani in Bijbehara was killed in the gunfight. Later, it was confirmed that the top Laskar-e-Toiba commander had been one of the killed.
Others included Unas Shafi Bhat, a Hizb recruit son of Muhammad Shafi Bhat, a resident of Takiya Maqsood Shah, Bijbehara; Basit Ahmad Mir, Lashkar recruit, son of Ishtiyaq Ahmad Mir, a resident of Pushwara Anantnag; Atif Nazar, a resident of Waghama Anantnag, a Hizb recruit; Firdaus Ahmad, a resident of Machpona Pulwama and Shahid Ahmad, a resident of Kawani Awantipora.
