One killed in Anantnag blast
Tribune News Service and agencies

SRINAGAR, Nov 21 — One person was killed and 35 injured, 10 of them seriously, when militants hurled a grenade near the old bus stand adjacent to the SP's office in Anantnag town this morning. Four women were among the injured, the police said.

Those injured included three voluntary Home Guards assisting the traffic police as daily-paid wagers, the SSP of Anantnag said. However, one report said that the injured included four SPOs (surrendered militants).

The police said the militants hurled a grenade in the busy market place adjacent to the mini bus stand at 11.50 a.m.

In another incident, militants hurled two grenades and then opened fire on a security picket at Verinag in Anantnag district last night.

Militants also hurled a grenade in the busy market area of Handwara in Kupwara district in North Kashmir this morning. The wall of the building adjacent to the marketplace was partially damaged.

A businessman, Mr Maqbool Ahmad Wani, was shot dead by unidentified persons at his residence in Anantnag town last evening. The police have registered a case.

A militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Kantpora in North Kashmir district of Kupwara yesterday.

Troops of the Border Security Force (BSF) intercepted a group of infiltrators at Sukur Bahak in Kupwara yesterday. However, the militants managed to escape. The security forces recovered a rocket launcher, 10 kg of the RDX, 40 hand grenades, two dozen remote-controlled devices and two anti-tank mines from the site, a BSF spokesman said.

The police arrested Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) chief Shabir Ahmad Shah and 20 more after a lathi charge and bursting of teargas shells at a JKDF demonstration at the historic Lal Chowk here today. Four JKDFP workers were injured in the lathi charge.

The police action followed an attempt by the JKDFP activists to take out a procession in violation of prohibitory orders enforced in the city to register their protest against what they called "growing incidents of custodial killings", official sources said.

Residents of Ganpora, Handwara, about 80 km from here, took to the streets in protest against the death of Abdul Rashid Ganai, allegedly in the custody of the security forces

The demonstrators alleged that Ganai was arrested by the security forces from his house yesterday. However, his body was handed over to his relatives by the police this morning.

Six power rockets were fired by militants at the densely populated civil township of Surankot in Poonch district. There was no loss of life.

A defence Ministry spokesman said in Jammu the rockets exploded on the outskirts of the town.

A Pakistani soldier was killed in an exchange of fire between Indian and Pakistani troops along the line of control (LoC) in Kupwara Sector of the Kashmir valley.

Pakistani troops, using light arms, opened unprovoked fire on Indian positions in the area around noon yesterday, forcing Indian troops to retaliate.

In the intermittent exchange of fire, which continued for some hours, a Pakistani soldier was killed at Tori Maidan opposite Balbir post in Facira Gali of the sector, sources said.

The Pakistani troops also fired six artillery shells in Kargil Sector and some mortar shells in Kiyan in Baramulla and Baaz in Uri sectors yesterday..