Indian Army fires at mob in Pahalgam, 5 injured

Five civilians were injured in Army firing after they attacked a patrol in a Pahalgam village on Wednesday morning, Army spokesperson Rajesh Kalia said.

Residents of Sofipora in Sallar village of Pahalgam in Anantnag district, according to locals, were protesting against an alleged braid chopping incident. The protesters pelted stones on an Army patrol and the soldiers responded by firing on them. Five injured protesters were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The Army spokesperson blamed a mob that had blocked a Sallar village road for the firing. When the patrol party requested the protesters to clear the route, they pelted stones on jawans and even tried to attack their vehicles. The patrol party, Kalia said, exercised maximum restraint, but had to open fire in self-defence, resulting in a few people being injured. Massive protests erupted in the area after the firing.

In another incident, at about 11.30am, some unidentified persons stopped a passenger bus near Sheeri in Baramulla district and forced three Army personnel to get off and manhandled them. "The Armymen posted in Kitchama, Sheeri, were on way to Baramulla to get searchlights repaired. An FIR has been registered in the matter and investigation has started," a police official said.

Militants killed a school teacher in Shopian and a special police officer in Tral.

Haleem Gujjar, a special police officer (SPO), in Tral area of South Kashmir's Pulwama district was killed on Wednesday evening. The resident of Gutro in Tral, suffered critical bullet wounds in firing by militants near his residence. Security forces launched a manhunt in the area to nab the assailants.

Body of the government school teacher, Aijaz Ahmad Lone, was found with his throat slit near Lar Maadan Stadium in South Kashmir's Shopian district on Wednesday morning. The police said Lone from Gatipora village had been murdered by militants who accused him of being an "informer."

A note, apparently left by the assailants was found on the slain teacher's body along with two mobile phones. The note in poorly-written Urdu read: "Revenge for Zahid Bhai, Irfan Bhai and Asif Bhai" — who were gunned down last week at Gatipora. The note also had Hizbul Mujahideen and 'ZIA squad' written on it.

"By the grace of Allah we have begun to take revenge. And we warn everyone that they must repent otherwise they will face the same consequences. We have information about all the informers of Army and police and this must be seen as a final warning," the note purportedly from Hizb warned.