Shopian CASO ends, militants escapes

Srinagar: Security forces called off Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) on Thursday morning after holed up militants escaped in south Kashmir district of Shopian, official sources said.
They said a CASO operation was launched at Turkwangam, Shopian, on Wednesday following a tip off about the presence of militants. Later, an encounter ensued between militants and security forces when the area was being sealed. Two houses were damaged in the encounter, they said adding later no militant was found when security forces conducted searches. The security forces have withdrawn from the area as militants have fled under the cover of darkness.
However, the nearby areas witnessed massive protests by people, mostly youths who hit the streets and tried to march towards the area where operation against the holed up militants was going on.
Security forces resorted to lathicharge, burst teargas shells and opened fire in which about a dozen persons were injured.
The injured were rushed to different hospital, where a teenager Umar succumbed while the condition of another injured Inayat was critical.