Security forces allegedly thrashed some media personnel who were covering an encounter with militants in Srinagar on Wednesday, a journalist present at the spot said.
"It is a direct attack on the freedom of the press,'' a photo-journalist, who works for a national newspaper, told UNI.
''KNTJA has strongly condemned the thrashing of journalists at the encounter site in Srinagar. Journalists were beaten up for performing their professional duties. This is simply a case of highhandedness of security forces,'' a spokesperson of the association said.
There were several media personnel who were covering the encounter when some police personnel asked them to leave, a journalist present at the spot said.
However, the media personnel stood their ground, leading to an altercation between 3-4 scribes and police, following which they allegedly thrashed three journalists.
The Kashmir Press Club (KPC) condemned the incident, alleging that some of the journalists were injured in the security forces action.
The KPC expressed shock over the behaviour of the security forces and hoped that the state administration will take note of the incident and act accordingly.
Three militants and a policeman were killed during the encounter between ultras and security forces in the city on Wednesday.
(With PTI inputs)
