Three CRPF men were killed Monday evening in a brief shoot-out at Wangam area of Qaziabad Handwara, around 80 km northwest of Srinagar. After the attack, Militants fled from the spot. At the encounter site, body of a teenager was also found.
“Three causalities are being reported. It was Alfa-92 company,” a CRPF spokesman based in Srinagar told Outlook, adding that security forces have sealed the area and search is on for other attackers.
After the encounter, when the unidentified body lying at the encounter site was searched, no weapons were found with him. Later, he was identified as 14-year-old Hazim Bhat. One of his relatives said Hazim was playing with other children in the nearby fields when the firing took place. His relative said he was unable to run unlike other children as he had some disability. “We don’t know what exactly happened and how he got killed. His body is in the police station and we are yet to go there,” the relative said.
The CRPF spokesperson said security forces have sealed the area and search for other attackers has been launched. The attack comes barely 24 hours after an army colonel, a major, two soldiers and a police sub inspector, besides two militants, were killed in an overnight gunfight at Chanjimulla area of Handwara.
After the incident on Sunday, security forces were deployed in large numbers in Handwara. According to locals, whole area was dotted with security personnel. They said the government had also deployed Special Operation Group personnel near Handwara hospital.
