M A I N   N E W S

Army jawan among 19 killed in J&K

SRINAGAR, Oct 13 (UNI) — Seventeen militants, including four Pakistani infiltrators, and an Army jawan and a civilian were among the 19 persons killed while the security forces arrested three militants, including a self-styled commander, in the state during the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, seven boys who were abducted by militants from Surankote recently, managed to escape from their clutches last evening. The youths later went to an Army camp at Surankote.

Defence sources said here today that the troops foiled two infiltration bids from across the border in the Poonch and Akhnoor sectors last evening when they gunned down four heavily armed infiltrators.

Six militants belonging to Jais-e-Mohammad and Al-Badar militant outfits were killed in the ensuing encounter. Sepoy Devender Bhati was killed while six other soldiers, including subedar Mathu Singh were wounded.