Srinagar
Eight freedom fighters were martyred in two separate gunfights with the Indian forces in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K) over the past 24 hours, the regional police said on Friday.
Three separatists embraced martyrdom in a Meej encounter in the Pampore area of southern Pulwama district while five more were martyred in the Bandpawa area of the Shopian district.
A police officer told Anadolu Agency that security forces early morning Thursday launched a cordon and search operation at Meej, South Kashmir after receiving specific information about the presence of freedom fighters there.
In another gunfight at the Bandpawa area of the occupied territory, in Shopian, one freedom fighter was martyred yesterday while four more embraced martyrdom today.
Defence spokesperson of the army Col. Rajesh Kalia said the forces had launched the operation in Shopian after receiving intelligence.
Meanwhile, the limited internet in the twin districts of Pulwama and Shopain was suspended after the encounters broke out.
After the martyrdom of eight separatists on Friday, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Vijay Kumar said that 100 freedom fighters in the disputed region have been martyred so far this year. Police sources told Anadolu Agency that nearly 32 freedom fighters have been martyred in southern Kashmir during the last 19 days, which include 22 separatists martyred in Shopian alone in less than a 2-week period.–Anadolu Agency
