Srinagar:  Army claimed to have killed three Over Ground Workers (OGWs) in a shoot-out at Pahnoo area of Shopian district in south Kashmir on Sunday evening while as locals rebutted the claim saying the three slain were civilians.

They identified them as Suhail Khalil Wagay R/O Pinjoora, Muhammad Shahid Khan R/O Malikgund and Shahnawaz Ahmad Wagay R/O Trenz.

“Three OGWs/ accomplices in the car who were accompanying the terrorist were found to be dead,” an Army spokesman said.

Earlier, the spokesman said that militants fired upon a joint Mobile Vehicle Check Post near Pohan at 8pm which was retaliated. In retaliatory firing, one militant identified as Shahid Ahmad Dar S/O Mushtaq Ahmad Dar R/O Jamnagri, Shopian was killed and a weapon has been found with him.

In a similar incident in January this year, three civilians were killed by the Army in Chaigund village of Shopian after two militants were killed. The police, however, lodged an FIR against an Army Major involved in the killings. The family of the Army Major approached the Supreme court against the police FIR.

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