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Two Army jawans were killed in the Shopian encounter that started early on Saturday between two militants of Al-Mansoorian outfit and troops of Rashtriya Rifles. This morning, troops searched the house in which the two militants were hiding and called off the operation as no one was found, Defence sources said.

A spokesman of Al-Mansoorian Abdullah Gaznevi told a local news agency that ‘‘two activists of the outfit killed four securitymen and managed to escape from the house after snatching a rifle of a deceased jawan’’.

At the village, Handow, in Imamsahib, Shopian, reports of alleged human rights violations by the troops poured in through the day. ‘‘Please come to our rescue,’’ pleaded one girl.‘‘There are only a few men in the village and we have been tortured severely by the Army.’’

Defence PRO Col. V.K. Batra, however, said: ‘‘There are no reports of any excesses. A search of the area is on, and to avoid any untoward incident, people have been told to come out of their houses.’’

Some government teachers, who were attending a training course in the village, said: ‘‘We were locked inside a classroom. Some of us called the Director, Education, for help and only after the intervention of the Director and Deputy Commissioner, Pulwama, we could leave the village in the morning.’’

The teachers — who were the only people to leave the village — said women were crying for help. ‘‘Nobody was allowed to have meals,’’ said one of the teachers.

Late reports from the area say though it is still cordoned, people were allowed to go home. ‘‘We were allowed to enter our homes. However, the Army said a crackdown of the area continues and you should assemble again in the morning,’’ said one of the villagers.

Pulwama Deputy Commissioner Lateef-uz-Zaman Deva said: ‘‘I can’t confirm or deny it yet. I received some calls from the village. I have deputed Tehsildar of the area and am waiting for his feedback…When I was told some teachers are not allowed to move out of the school, I called the GoC and they were allowed to leave’’.

The SP, however, rubbished the allegations of human rights violations during the search operation and said: ‘‘There are no rights violations in the area. I have deputed my DSP there and we have received no such report.’’