2 militants, 2 civilians killed during encounter,clashes in Arwani Anantnag

Anantnag/ June,16: Life was completely disrupted in South Kashmir after the killing of two militants and two civilians during a fiercely fought encounter between government forces and the militants in Arwani areas of South Kashmir on Friday.
Reports said that a fierce encounter started between the trapped militants believed to be three in number and the government forces in Arwani Bijbehara area of South Kashmir.
As the siege was laid around the area where militants were hiding, large number of protesters hit the roads and tried to disrupt the operation against the militants. The protesters amid pro-freedom slogans hurled rocks on the troopers who retaliated with pellets, bullets and tear-smoke shells.
Eyewitnesses said scores of protesters suffered pellet and bullet injuries while two civilians succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. Within a span of less than 24 hours, three civilians fell prey to the bullets fired by government forces.
Witnesses said that as the protests intensified, government forces used all tactics to disperse the agitated protesters. A civilian was killed when government forces fired upon protesters near the encounter site. The victim was identified as 34-year-old Muhammad Ashraf Khar. Police said that he was caught in the cross fire, but locals refuted the police claim. Khar had received a bullet injury in his chest.
Another teenager boy was killed in the clashes. The 14-years-old was hit by bullet in chest near the encounter site. He was referred to Qaimoh hospital, locals said, where doctors declared him brought dead. The deceased was identified as Ahsan Dar son of Mushtaq Ahmad Dar from Shamsipora area of Kulgam.
During the day long clashes scores of protesters were wounded. The rumours were ripe from the Friday morning that LeT top commander Junaid Ahmed Matoo has been killed in the encounter. The news was not confirmed by any official source though. Unconfirmed reports said two militants including Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Junaid Mattoo were killed in the encounter. They were among the three militants who were trapped inside the house.
Junaid Mattoo, a local boy of Khudwani, was among the three trapped inside the house along with Azad Malikand a Pakistani militant. Mattoo was in lime light after he shot dead two policemen in broad daylight at the busy Anantnag bus stand in June 2016. He was seen on CCTV footage carrying out the dastardly act.