M A I N   N E W S

22 killed in J&K

SRINAGAR, Sept 16 (PTI) — Fifteen militants and four security personnel were among 22 persons killed and 10 jawans injured in gun fights while security forces averted two possible tragedies in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, an official spokesman said here today.

Security forces repulsed a militant attack on a post and averted possible tragedies with the timely detection of two powerful explosive devices, he said.

In a major incident, four militants, three security jawans and a village development committee member (VDC), were killed and six securitymen injured in a shootout in the Inkari Forest at Mahore in Doda district last night.

The encounter began when security forces launched a massive search operation in the forest to flush out militants who had taken shelter there, he said.

Militants struck with an IED at Fazalabad in Poonch district last evening, killing a jawan and injuring four others, the spokesman said.

Immediately after the blast, troops launched an operation at Saral-Jabad village in the same district and shot dead three foreign mercenaries belonging to the banned Hizbul Mujahideen, he said. A big cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from them.

Troops also gunned down five hardcore militants at Mengana village early today, a defence spokesman said.

A police spokesman said three more militants were killed by security forces at Banihal in Doda and in Rajouri.

In another incident, the troops averted a major tragedy with the timely detection of an IED on Draba-Surankote road in Poonch district yesterday, the spokesman said.

The IED, which contained five kg of RDX and was remotely controlled, was later defused by an army bomb disposal team, he said, adding that the road is frequented by civilians and security forces.

Indian troops foiled an infiltration bid by Pakistan-backed militants when they gunned down two infiltrators near Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara sector, a defence spokesman said today.

Curfew in Rajouri
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Sept 16 — Two college students were wounded when the police opened fire to disperse two groups of students, who were locked in clashes, at Rajouri town today. The wounded were airlifted to the Jammu Medical College.

Additional companies of the police and the paramilitary forces were rushed to the town to enforce curfew restrictions. The Information Department building was also attacked and valuable equipment destroyed.

A senior police officer said the clash between the two groups of students belonging to two different communities took place when one student was wounded during a football match. Since the town was “very sensitive as far as communal polarisation was concerned”, the two groups clashed in which six boys received minor injuries.

Tension gripped the border town after the police firing. Shopkeepers closed their business establishments. The district administration approached senior citizens belonging to both communities to defuse the situation.

At least 10 boys belonging to both communities were taken into preventive custody.

The police added that the situation was under control but tense.