Srinagar: Ignoring the Army Chief’s warning and the state government advisories, hundreds of youths from various districts today assembled at the encounter site in Chadoora town of Budgam district.Youths threw stones and blew whistles at security personnel deployed around the house in which a Hizbul Mujahideen militant was hiding. The militant was killed in a day-long gunfight with security forces.However, the relentless stone-throwing by youths was retaliated by security personnel with bullets, pellets and teargas shells, killing three youths and injuring 15 others.“I had come to help the militant escape. He (militant) had taken up gun and I have picked up stones to fight the oppressors,” said an injured youth from south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. “I was throwing stones (at security personnel) when policemen resorted to indiscriminate firing and lobbed pellet grenades during which I received pellets in my chin,” he said.Another youth said he along with his friend Ishfaq Rashid, a resident of Rangreth in Srinagar, had gone to Chadoora to disrupt the anti-militancy operation and help the militant flee. However, Rashid received a bullet during clashes with security forces and died on the spot.Eyewitnesses said youths had come from Baramulla, Anantnag, Pulwama, and Srinagar to throw stones at security personnel during the gunfight. The Valley is lately witnessing a trend where local youths flock to encounter sites to help militants escape. Security forces have had to call off several anti-militancy operations following the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani on July 8, 2016, after locals attacked them with stones.Security forces have also suffered several casualties, including of an officer in February, after locals threw stones at security men during gunfights.The growing public interference in anti-militancy operations had forced Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on February 16 to issue a warning to the youth attacking security forces during anti-insurgency operations. “If they (youth) do not relent and create hurdle in our operations, then we will take tough action,” the Army Chief had said.Following the Army Chief’s warning, the state government issued an advisory asking people to stay away from counter-insurgency operation sites for their “own safety”.“The prohibitory restrictions have been imposed within the radius of 3 km from the site of any counter-insurgency operation in the districts,” said the statement issued by the district administrations of Srinagar, Budgam and Shopian.However, there seems to be no end to stone-throwing during the anti-militancy operations.The phenomenon, which was earlier prevalent in south Kashmir districts, is fast spreading to other districts of Kashmir.Budgam district, which is considered a bastion of the pro-militant sentiment in Kashmir, has for the first time witnessed such stone-throwing by youths. (Tribune News Service)