3 militants, 6 civilians killed in Kashmir
Srinagar, Oct 21: Three militants were killed Sunday in an encounter with security forces in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, while six civilians lost their lives in a blast following the gunfight there, police said.
Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Laroo area of Kulgam district in south Kashmir following specific information about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.
While conducting searches the militants fired upon them, he said, adding three terrorists were killed in the ensuing encounter.
He said the identity and group affiliation of the slain militants is being ascertained.
The officials said immediately after the gunfight ended and the forces withdrew from the spot, civilians rushed to the encounter site where an explosive substance went off resulting in death of six civilians.
"Despite requests to not visit the spot till thorough search is done for explosives, several civilians visited the encounter site immediately after the operation. While they were there, some explosive substance went off, resulting in on spot death of a civilian and injuries to several others," the official said.
He said the injured persons were rushed to various hospitals for treatment but five of them succumbed to the injuries.
"In total, six civilians were killed due to the blast," the official said.
He said clashes broke out between groups of youth and security forces in the area and were going on when last reports came in.
"Police had to use some force to quell the protests and about two dozen persons were injured in the clashes, the official said.
Advisor to the Governor, K Vijay Kumar, and DGP Dilbag Singh have expressed regret over the loss of civilian lives at the encounter site and conveyed their profound condolences to the bereaved families.
He said such sites should be avoided by civilians till they are properly sanitised.
Extremely saddened by the news of kulgam incident , where civilians were once again caught in the cross fire of violence , thus adding fuel to the already volatile situation . All words of condemnation ,condolence sound very hollow at this tragedy .
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 21, 2018
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Iran warns of ‘uncontrollable consequences’ after energy site strike
Qatar warns residents of ‘Elavated’ threat
Tehran/Doha: Iran’s President Massoud Pezeshkian has warned that attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure could lead to “uncontrollable consequences” affecting the entire world.
In a post on X, Pezeshkian said he “strongly condemns” the strikes that targeted the South Pars gasfield earlier in the day.
“Such aggressive actions will not achieve anything for the American Zionist enemy and their supporters. Rather, they will complicate the situation and could lead to uncontrollable consequences that will affect the entire world,” he said.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s Ministry of Interior has urged residents to remain indoors due to what it described as an elevated security threat.
Authorities have not provided further details, but the advisory comes amid growing concerns over the safety of energy infrastructure and civilian areas in the region.
