Kulgam encounter ends; J&K govt employee killed, militants flee

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Srinagar: A government employee was on Saturday killed during an overnight counter-insurgency operation in south Kashmir's Kulgam district. However, the militants managed to flee.

The security forces, including Army, launched a counter-insurgency operation in Chancer area of Kulgam district last night, following an information about the presence of ultras in the area, police officials said.

The officials said an employee of the Fisheries Department, Assadullah Kumar, was killed in the firing that broke out minutes after the security forces had cordoned off the area.

An Army official said the operation was called off this morning after the security forces did not find any militant.

The militants might have escaped taking advantage of darkness, the official said.

However, the official was tight-lipped about the death of the civilian.

Meanwhile, local residents staged a protest against the killing of Kumar and blocked Srinagar-Jammu National Highway at Vessu. 

Meanwhile, Border Security Force troopers have gunned down an intruder from Pakistan in north Punjab.

The incident took place the Bamiyal sector near the Dinda border outpost (BoP) in forward areas of Pathankot district.

The intruder was killed after he came close to the border fencing on the Indian side and did not heed warnings.

The area is close to the Punjab-Jammu and Kashmir border.

On Tuesday, heavily-armed suicide bombers stormed an Army camp in a town near Jammu, triggering a fierce gunfight that left two attackers dead and six soldiers injured, officials said. Two more militants died in another shootout near the International Border on the same day.