Srinagar: Hizbul Mujahideen on Saturday said that at least 345 gunfights broke out in Kashmir in 2018 resulting in killing of 266 militants and 231 government forces personnel.
Hizb said that 375 forces personnel including five Major-rank officers were injured this year in militants attacks.
In an emailed statement to KNS, the militant outfit spokesman Saleem Hashmi said, “of the 231 security forces men killed include one JCO and four officers.”
He said, “militants carried 33 attacks on security forces this year, which led to the death or injury to dozens of government forces besides damaging three Casper vehicles of forces.”
“In this year, the forces damaged 50 residential houses including one Jamia Masjid during the encounters with militants by using mortar shells or other explosive material, which led to the huge loss of people,” said the yearly report of Hizbul Mujahideen.
It added, “during the search operations or encounters, 86 civilians were killed this year while 1800 received pellet injuries, blinding many and also dozens of forces personnel were also injured.”
According to the report, “during crackdown and other searches, forces have arrested 450 persons in Kashmir, saying that 107 persons were arrested on false charges by tagging them as stone pelters and for helping militants and have been booked under PSA and shifted to different jails in or outside the State.”
Hashmi said that 42 dead bodies were found in different areas while many among them were bullet-riddled.
“41 rifles including one pistol were snatched by the militants from forces personnel this year, which is higher than the past year. 24 forces personnel have committed suicide in Kashmir for different reasons,” it said.
