Srinagar/May,27: A gunfight between government forces and militants that started in late evening hours on Friday resumed Saturday morning in Saimoh village of Tral area in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district .
Reports and witnesses said that the militants opened fire on a patrolling party late Friday night, triggering a brief encounter that lasted for less than a minute after the former fled from the spot.
An official said that a cordon was laid around the village which continued throughout the night. However Saturday morning, the gunfight began again, which was going on when last reports came in .
Sources said that two to three militants, including top commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat alias Soab Don, are believed to be trapped inside the cordon.Locals alleged that forces also set ablaze a residential house of Abdul Rashid Mir during the night. Meanwhile, clashes erupted in the nearby village of Rathsuna after locals tried to break the cordon to reach the encounter site.
