Shopian Encounter: 5 Die In Clashes After Terrorists, Including Professor, Killed In Kashmir

Shopian, Jammu and Kashmir: Five Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists including an assistant professor at the Kashmir University were killed in an encounter that began this morning in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian. A top Hizbul commander, Saddam Padder, once considered close to terrorist Burhan Wani, is also among those killed. Five local people including a 17-year-old boy died in clashes that started during the encounter.

"The encounter is over at Badigam in Shopian and bodies of five terrorists have been recovered...Well done boys - Army/CRPF/J&K Police," tweeted the police chief of the state, Shesh Paul Vaid. 

Apart from professor Mohammad Rafi Bhat and Hizbul terrorist Saddam Padder, the other three killed in the encounter are Tauseef Shiekh, Aadil Malik and Bilal. All the three terrorists are residents of south Kashmir. 

Mr Bhat, an assistant professor in the Sociology department, had reportedly joined the terrorist group a few years ago, police sources told NDTV. He had gone missing on Friday.

Senior police officer SP Pani said, the police made repeated attempts to persuade the professor to surrender and even brought his family from Ganderbal, to talk to him, but he didn't agree.

The police have found incriminating material, including arms and ammunition from the encounter site.

Mr Bhat was reportedly meeting the Hizbul commander when security forces launched the operation. 

Acting on a tip-off, soldiers of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the army surrounded Badigam village where the terrorists were hiding. "As the cordon was tightened, the holed-up militants fired, triggering the gunfight," the police sources added.

Hundreds of protesters threw stones at the security forces where the encounter was going on. A soldier and a policeman were also injured in the encounter. 

Classes have been suspended in Kashmir University for two days from Monday, as a precautionary measure and all examinations scheduled tomorrow have been postponed.

Mobile internet services have been suspended in districts of south Kashmir and Ganderbal in central Kashmir, while the facility remained barred in Srinagar for the second consecutive day today.