Pulwama gunfight: 8 civilians, 3 militants killed in major encounter

As many as eight civilians were killed and several injured when security forces allegedly opened fire to disperse a boisterous crowd that gathered near the encounter site in Sirnoo village of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday. According to a report by news agency ANI, three militants were also killed including an Army man during the gunfight. The broke out on Saturday morning after the security forces launched a cordon-and-search-operation following a tip-off about the presence of militants in the region. The violence has led to a tense situation in the district which has also drawn sharp political reactions.