Gunshots heard in upper Harwan

Srinagar, Dec 2: Gunshots were heard in the upper belt of the Harwan area in Srinagar district late Monday night.

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vidhi Kumar Birdi said some gunshots were heard in the upper mountain belt of the Harwan axis. “CASO has been launched in the area,” he said. An official said that additional reinforcement was rushed to the area after gunshots were heard in the area.

“There was some input about the suspicious movement in the Harwan forests and CASO was launched in the area,” the official said.

He said that some gunshots were fired by the security forces but it cannot be yet ascertained if there was any exchange of fire.

“Actually it is a very dense forest area and nothing can be ascertained yet. The area has been completely cordoned off. We will wait till morning,” the official said. In November, a gunfight broke out between militants and security forces in the Zabarwan forests in Srinagar.

However, the militants trapped in the forests had managed to escape after a brief exchange of firing, taking advantage of the dense forests and rugged area. Meanwhile, the official said the search operation was going on in the Harwan forest area.

“We will wait till morning,” the official said.