Kulgam Encounter: Terrorists identified as Hizbul Mujahideen and LeT operatives; curfew in Kulgam and Shopian

The four terrorists who were killed by security forces in the Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday were local residents. Two of them belonged to Kashmiri separatist group Hizbul Mujahideen while the other two were Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives, the police said. Three terrorists managed to escape. Curfew has been imposed in Kulgam and Shopian.

A total of eight people, including four terrorists, two civilians and two soldiers, were killed in a 10-hour long gunbattle between security forces and terrorists in Frisal village in the Kulgam district of south Kashmir. One of the two deceased civilians was a protester while the other lost his life in cross firing. The two deceased soldiers belonged to the 1st Rashtriya Rifles.

The encounter and the protests followed led to a shutdown in the Valley on Monday with most of the shops in Srinagar remaining shut and streets deserted. Authorities also imposed restrictions in parts of south Kashmir. Kashmiri separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) called for a complete shutdown on Monday and a "Kulgam Chalo" march on Wednesday to protest against the killings, the Hindustan Times reported.

Thousands of people took to the streets to protest against the killings, while security forces used pellets, bullets and teargas shells to disperse the crowds killing one protester and injuring at least 25 others in the process, Greater Kashmir (GK) reported. The injured have been rushed to different hospitals in the area. Protesters chanted pro-freedom slogans and also attended the funeral of the terrorists and the two deceased civilians. 

Both Hizbul Mujahideen and LeT paid tributes to the deceased terrorists while Kashmiri separatist groups called for a strike on Monday to protest against the crackdown by security forces. The National Conference demanded an investigation into the encounter.

"Four local Hizb(ul) militants put up a brave show during the night-long gun-battle. Our militants resisted the Indian might and killed many army men. Several Indian soldiers were killed while many of them suffered disabilities. Security establishments hide the truth to stop demoralising their men," Hizb-ul-Mujahideen spokesperson Burhanuddin was quoted by GK as saying.

He added: "The attacks on Indian Security Bases will continue till the Freedom Movement is not taken to its logical conclusion. The youth are sacrificing their lives for a sacred cause and we will never compromise with their holy blood."

LeT chief in the state, Mehmood Shah, also released a statement saying: "Forces got frustrated by the courage shown by the militants and with the result, they opened fire on the innocent people killing two civilians and injuring dozens. We salute the people for taking part in huge numbers in the funerals of slain militants." He also slammed the Indian Army for using innocent civilians as human shields "to avoid casualties."