Tension and chaos gripped Srinagar on Saturday after three militants were killed in a five-hour-long encounter at Chattabal with security forces, which triggered protests. A boy who was part of one such protest, was crushed to death by a police vehicle at Noor Bagh.
Three security personnel were injured in the encounter that started after the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the state police and CRPF cordoned off a militant safe house at Gasi Mohalla, Chattabal, on Saturday morning.
The hiding militants from Lashkar-e-Taiba fired a volley of bullets at the CRPF, injuring an officer. The officer, who was injured in the right foot, was evacuated from the spot under heavy covering fire by the SOG and CRPF.
The encounter created panic in the area, forcing residents, mostly men, to flee.
Inspector General of Police S.P. Pani said the militants had taken shelter in an under-construction house. He said they were engaged and neutralised in a joint operation by SOG and CRPF.
“Three Lashkar-e-Taiba militants were killed,” he said. “Three AK-47 rifles and ammunition were recovered from the site. Two of them seem to be foreigners, while the third was a local.”
The news of the encounter created tension in the city, causing markets to shut for the day.
Scores of vehicles were caught in traffic snarls at many places especially at the bypass in Srinagar.
Many schools closed early for the day as a precautionary measure. Some parents told THE WEEK they received calls from schools that their children would be reaching home earlier than usual on Saturday.
The encounter led to clashes between the youth and police at Chattabal, Kaksarai, Safakdal, Noor Bagh and outside Sheri-e-Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital(SMHS).
The police fired tear gas to disperse protesters at several places. The protesters were raising pro-freedom slogans and pelted stones at police. Photojournalist Umer Asif, who regularly contributes photos to THE WEEK, was injured while covering a protest near SMHS. His upper jaw received seven stitches despite wearing a helmet.
A young protester, who was part of a group pelting stones, was crushed to death by a police vehicle at Noor Bagh.
The police's attempt to cover up the apparently deliberate running over of a protester found no takers as a video clearly showed the vehicle turning towards the boy, hitting him and then crushing him to death.
A police spokesman described the incident as “One person, identified as Adil Ahmad Yadoo, was brought to SMHS hospital whom doctors declared brought dead. Medical bulletin suggests that the person died due to a crush injury in a road traffic accident at Noorbagh. Citizens may not pay heed to rumours.”
“We will take action according to the law,'' Pani said, when asked about the video that captured the police vehicle mowing down the boy. “This incident happened near the Cement Bridge; there's a police bunker vehicle that is involved in the road accident.”
He said the police has taken cognisance of the incident and whatever action was warranted under the law would be taken.
When asked whether the driver of the vehicle has been suspended, Pani said, “It's a road accident; it is not a deliberate thing. We have registered an FIR and legal action will be taken.”
The video of the incident, recorded by residents in the area, showing a police vehicle mowing down the boy, has gone viral on social media.
The incident has left people across Srinagar and outside shocked and infuriated.
After the encounter started, mobile internet services were suspended in Srinagar. This is the second time that an encounter has taken place in Srinagar after militants tried to storm a CRPF camp at Karan Nagar on February 14. One CRPF man and two militants were killed in that encounter.