M A I N   N E W S

Four Army men killed in blast
Tribune News Service & PTI

SRINAGAR, May 10 — At least four Army personnel were killed and three critically injured when militants blew up their vehicle with a landmine in Baramula district of north Kashmir today, the police said.

Militants had planted the landmine on the main road at Nihalpora village in Pattan, 27 km from here, and detonated the device when the vehicle crossed over it, it said.

The vehicle was blown up injuring seven soldiers seriously. They were rushed to hospital where four of them died, while three others were listed critical, the police said.

No militant outfit had so far claimed the responsibility for the explosion.

The blast was so powerful it caused extensive damage to the Army vehicle and created a large crater, official reports received here from the site said.

The police said the village and its adjoining areas were immediately cordoned off by the Army and a massive hunt was launched to nab the ultras involved in the attack.

Meanwhile, Shakeela, who was injured in Pak shelling in Uri sector last week, died in hospital today. With her death the toll in the continued Pak shelling in the sector rose to 11.

A report from Baramula said there was intermittent shelling by Pakistani troops in the Keran, Karnah and Teetwal sectors during night. There was no report of any loss of life or damage to property.

Militants shot dead Bashir Ahmad Lone, a counter insurgent at Keygam Kandi in north Kashmir this afternoon, and injured Mohammad Ashraf at Nowpora, Baramula.

Panic gripped the Batamaloo area when the special operation group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir police fired some rounds in the air.

Shopkeepers alleged that the SOG brought the body of Mustaq Ahmad Parray before firing in the air.

However the police said he was killed in an encounter with the SoG.

Jammu: Three militants were killed, two security personnel and two Muslim youths kidnapped in separate militancy-related incidents in the Jammu region on Wednesday.

Defence Ministry spokesman said Pak-trained militants tried to infiltrate into Jammu from across the Bhimber Gali area in Poonch. The troops spotted the infiltrators and opened fire. In the ensuing encounter three militants were killed on the spot and four others were believed to have crossed back to Pakistan.

In another incident one militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Bihata in Doda district. One BSF constable and one VDC member were wounded in two separate IED explosions near Ramban.

In the Dhakikot area in the upper reaches of Udhampur two Muslim youths, Mohd Aslam and Bashir Ahmed, were kidnapped by the militants at gun point.