Lack of synergy and miscommunication between various wings of security forces led to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pulwama-encounter-in-jk-8-civilians-3-militants-and-one-soldier-among-12-dead-184239">mayhem in South Kashmir's Pulwama</a> district Saturday that resulted in the death of seven civilians after an encounter with Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, officials said on Monday.

The lack of synergy was to the extent that civilians had almost reached the Army vehicles engaged in an encounter and there was serious apprehension that the mob could harm the personnel or loot the weapons, they said.&nbsp;

This had prompted the security forces to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-pm-imran-khan-condemns-killing-of-seven-civilians-in-kashmirs-pulwama-threatens-to-raise-the-issue-at-un-184640">open fire at the unruly crowd</a> which approached the encounter site at Sirnoo village from multiple directions Saturday, officials added.

Even the governor's advisor K Vijay Kumar, in his address to senior police officials on Sunday, stressed on ensuring effective coordination and synergy between security agencies, besides exercising restraint to avoid civilian casualties and collateral damage during anti-militancy operations and security-related drills in the valley.

According to an internal probe, the day for the crack team began early Saturday morning and a hideout was raided in an area adjacent to Simroo village, which is the native area of Zahoor Thoker, an army deserter-turned-militant.&nbsp;

He is wanted in several cases of killings of security forces, including rifleman Aurangzeb in June and sub-inspector Imtiyaz Ahmad Mir in October.

After drawing a blank from the first hideout, the crack team of security forces did not come up with anything at the second hideout as well. They rather established contact with holed up terrorists in a couple of houses near an orchard.

"This was the third place raided by the crack team and here they were fired upon by the holed up militants," a senior security official said.&nbsp;

In the ensuing encounter, Thoker, who had gone missing in July last year from his camp in Gantmulla area along with an AK-47 rifle, was killed along with his two other accomplices.

However, the crack team had not made adequate arrangements to ensure complete sanitisation of the encounter site because of the paucity of time, the officials said.

People started thronging the encounter site as the outer cordon, which was to be thrown around by the CRPF and the local police was not in place due to lack of communication, they said.

As many as 20 people sustained bullet injuries on Saturday out of which seven civilians died, including 28-year-old MBA graduate Abid Hussain Lone, who had come home along with his Indonesian wife and a three-month-old baby.

By the time local police along with the CRPF could reach the spot of the encounter, the damage was done and people were seen running helter-skelter rushing the injured people to the hospital in Srinagar, a distance of 34 kilometres.

Lack of synergy and miscommunication between various wings of security forces led to mayhem in South Kashmir's Pulwama district Saturday that resulted in the death of seven civilians after an encounter with Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, officials said on Monday.

Lack of synergy and miscommunication between various wings of security forces led to mayhem in South Kashmir's Pulwama district Saturday that resulted in the death of seven civilians after an encounter with Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, officials said on Monday. The lack of synergy was to the extent that civilians had almost reached the Army vehicles engaged in an encounter and there was serious apprehension that the mob could harm the personnel or loot the weapons, they said. This had prompted the security forces to open fire at the unruly crowd which approached the encounter site at Sirnoo village from multiple directions Saturday, officials added. Even the governor's advisor K Vijay Kumar, in his address to senior police officials on Sunday, stressed on ensuring effective coordination and synergy between security agencies, besides exercising restraint to avoid civilian casualties and collateral damage during anti-militancy operations and security-related drills in the valley. According to an internal probe, the day for the crack team began early Saturday morning and a hideout was raided in an area adjacent to Simroo village, which is the native area of Zahoor Thoker, an army deserter-turned-militant. He is wanted in several cases of killings of security forces, including rifleman Aurangzeb in June and sub-inspector Imtiyaz Ahmad Mir in October. After drawing a blank from the first hideout, the crack team of security forces did not come up with anything at the second hideout as well. They rather established contact with holed up terrorists in a couple of houses near an orchard. "This was the third place raided by the crack team and here they were fired upon by the holed up militants," a senior security official said. In the ensuing encounter, Thoker, who had gone missing in July last year from his camp in Gantmulla area along with an AK-47 rifle, was killed along with his two other accomplices. However, the crack team had not made adequate arrangements to ensure complete sanitisation of the encounter site because of the paucity of time, the officials said. People started thronging the encounter site as the outer cordon, which was to be thrown around by the CRPF and the local police was not in place due to lack of communication, they said. As many as 20 people sustained bullet injuries on Saturday out of which seven civilians died, including 28-year-old MBA graduate Abid Hussain Lone, who had come home along with his Indonesian wife and a three-month-old baby. By the time local police along with the CRPF could reach the spot of the encounter, the damage was done and people were seen running helter-skelter rushing the injured people to the hospital in Srinagar, a distance of 34 kilometres.

Lack of synergy between forces resulted in civilian casualties in Pulwama: Officials

A Jammu and Kashmir police constable is suspected to have joined the Lashkar-e-Taiba after a photograph of him posing with an AK-47 went viral on social media.&nbsp;

This could be the third such switch -- personnel from the security forces joining the militants -- made this year.&nbsp;

Ishfaq Ahmad Dar, who was posted at the Police Training Centre in Kathua, was reported missing after he failed to return from leave on Monday.

When he did not show up at Kathua, news reports said, his family filed a missing person&#39;s complaint.&nbsp;

A little later, the photograph of him posing with an AK-47 surfaced.&nbsp;

&ldquo;There are reports, we are trying to confirm. The matter is being investigated,&rdquo; the Hindustan Times quoted Kashmir&#39;s Director General of Police SP Vaid as saying.&nbsp;

The Hindustan Times, quoting sources, added that a number of people in Dar&rsquo;s family, including his brother, were policemen.

The Hindustan Times added that in May this year, a constable from Shopian, Syed Naveed Mushtaq, decamped with four service rifles and joined the Hizbul Mujahideen.

And that two months later, Zahoor Ahmad Thokar &mdash; who was with the 173 Territorial Army Engineering regiment at Baramulla &mdash; deserted his unit and joined the militants, taking with him his service AK-47 rifle and three magazines.&nbsp;

Ishfaq Ahmad Dar, who was posted at the Police Training Centre in Kathua, was reported missing after he failed to return from leave on Monday

A Jammu and Kashmir police constable is suspected to have joined the Lashkar-e-Taiba after a photograph of him posing with an AK-47 went viral on social media. This could be the third such switch -- personnel from the security forces joining the militants -- made this year. Ishfaq Ahmad Dar, who was posted at the Police Training Centre in Kathua, was reported missing after he failed to return from leave on Monday. When he did not show up at Kathua, news reports said, his family filed a missing person's complaint. A little later, the photograph of him posing with an AK-47 surfaced. “There are reports, we are trying to confirm. The matter is being investigated,” the Hindustan Times quoted Kashmir's Director General of Police SP Vaid as saying. The Hindustan Times, quoting sources, added that a number of people in Dar’s family, including his brother, were policemen. The Hindustan Times added that in May this year, a constable from Shopian, Syed Naveed Mushtaq, decamped with four service rifles and joined the Hizbul Mujahideen. And that two months later, Zahoor Ahmad Thokar — who was with the 173 Territorial Army Engineering regiment at Baramulla — deserted his unit and joined the militants, taking with him his service AK-47 rifle and three magazines.

Kashmir: Third man from security forces joins militants this year

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Lack of synergy between forces resulted in civilian casualties in Pulwama: Officials

Kashmir: Third man from security forces joins militants this year