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Lone to leave for Pak today

NEW DELHI, Nov 15 (PTI) — Senior Hurriyat leader and chief of People’s Conference Abdul Gani Lone today termed the grant of passport for visiting Pakistan to attend the wedding of his son as a “good gesture” from the Centre but said “it would have been better had all my colleagues attended the marriage”.

“It is a goodwill gesture by the government to issue me a passport but one would have definitely loved to see a travel document for each of the Hurriyat leaders,” a visibly-happy Lone told PTI here.

He said the Centre should issue passport to people like Yaseen Malik and Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

The government yesterday handed over a country-specific passport to Lone with a validity of three months.

He is the third Hurriyat leader after former chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Maulana Abasment.

Lone, who had been granted visa by the Pakistan government, would be leaving for Rawalpindi tomorrow to attend the marriage ceremony of his Dubai-based son Sajjad.

Lone thanked media for highlighting the issue.

It may be mentioned that OIC leaders in a resolution yesterday, “condemned the flagrant violations of human rights in Kashmir and called on member states to take all necessary measures to convince India to put an immediate end to these violations.”

Another senior Hurriyat leader Maulana Abas Ansari was also present at the summit with the Hurriyat Conference having an observer status at OIC. He is also likely to attend the marriage ceremony.

The travel documents of Lone and other Hurriyat leaders had been cancelled following their involvement in separatist activities.

3 ultras, 4 Army men killed
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Nov 15 — Three militants and four security force personnel were killed and six others injured in an encounter at Pattan, 27 km North of here in Baramula district today. At least three houses were also gutted in the gunbattle which was continuing till the last reports came in.

Elsewhere in the state, at least 12 persons including nine militants were killed and six others injured in separate incidents of militancy since yesterday. At least nine others, including seven pedestrians and two security force personnel, were injured when militants hurled a grenade on a security patrol at the Pulwama main market this afternoon.

A Defence spokesman said here this evening that three militants were killed in the encounter at Pattan. A security force jawan was also killed while two others sustained injuries in the operation. Till the last reports came in, the operation was continuing, the spokesman said.

However, the police said that the Pattan encounter started on the highway this morning when security forces cordoned off Aram Mohalla for conducting search operations. Militants hiding in the area fired upon the search party, which ensued the encounter.

According to a local news agency, four Army men, including a Captain, Atul Sharma and a Lance Naik were killed while six others including a Major were injured in the encounter. It said that the search party was fired upon when a grenade was hurled by the hiding militants in Aram Mohalla at 8.30 a.m.

Traffic on the Srinagar-Baramulla road linking the summer capital with North Kashmir districts of Baramula and Kupwara was suspended following the encounter.

Four militants were killed and three SPOs and a civilian were injured in an encounter between militants and the joint operations group of security forces and the J&K Police at Zabar Nallah in the Darhal sector of Rajouri district today. Till the last reports came in, the operation was going on, a police spokesman stated here this evening.

Three unidentified militants were killed in an encounter with security forces at Seaizdhar in the Bhaderwah area of Doda district. One UMG, a pistol and a pistol magazine were recovered from the site of the encounter, the police said.

Two others including a militant were killed in another encounter at Malthola in Doda district. The militant was identified as Abu Hassan, a foreigner, while the civilian was identified as Ishrat of Chaka village in the same area. One AK rifle, one pistol, a wireless set and two hand grenades were recovered from the site of the encounter.

Unidentified militants kidnapped and subsequently killed Mohammad Yunus of Budasan Bala yesterday, SPO Mohammad Iqbal was killed when militants fired upon the security force post at Gullah, Kishtwar in Doda district. One militant was killed in an encounter with security forces at Narkpte, Reasi in Udhampur district. A security force jawan was also injured in the incident.

According to the official reports, one JCO was killed and another jawan was critically wounded when Pakistani troops resorted to heavy fire on a post of Golpur in the Poonch sector late last night. The troops guarding the post were surprised when Pakistani soldiers resorted to the heavy fire.The JCO was killed on the spot. The Indian troops retaliated and at least six Pakistani bunkers were destroyed.

Official sources said number of casualties on the other side of the LoC could not be ascertained but ambulances could be seen carrying the wounded and the dead.