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Updated: Nov 25, 2018 15:23 IST

A soldier and six militants were killed in an encounter in south Kashmir’s Shopian district early on Sunday morning after security forces launched a search for militants.

A civilian was also killed and five locals injured in cross firing near the encounter site, sparking massive clashes between groups of youth and security forces in the area, a police official said.

Police said a joint team of Army and police launched a cordon and search operation in Kaparan village around 1 am. During the search, the forces were fired upon triggering retaliation which turned into an encounter in which one soldier and six militants were killed.

The slain soldier, Naik Nazir Ahmed of the 162 Territorial Army operating with 34 Rashtriya Rifles was highly decorated, having been awarded the Sena medal twice.

Another soldier of the Rashtriya Rifles was also injured, but he was shifted to hospital and his condition is said to be stable now.

The militants were identified as Mushtaq Ahmad Mir, Mohammad Abass Bhatt, Umar Majeed Ganai, Mohd Waseem Wagay, Khalid Farooq Mali and one foreigner from Pakistan, according to a police official quoted by ANI. While four of them belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen, two were affiliated to Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Police said Umar Ganai was involved in had escaped from Batmaloo encounter and was involved in killings of many policemen and civilians since 2106.

Five civilians suffered bullet injuries in the cross-firing near the gunfight site and were rushed to a hospital where one of them succumbed to injuries, a police official said, according to PTI. He said the other injured are being treated.

The security forces have recovered a huge quantity of weapons and ammunition from the site of the encounter.

Clashes erupted between forces and civilians in the area. Many youths were seen pelting stones at vehicles of security forces after the encounter ended.

Mobile internet services have been suspended in Shopian district as a precautionary measure.

This is the third operation against militants in south Kashmir since Wednesday. So far, 16 local militants have been killed in three encounters.

On Friday, six militants were killed in Anantnag district in a similar operation, including three top commanders of militant groups. On Wednesday, four militants were killed in Shopian district.