M A I N   N E W S

Day 1 of truce extension: blast claims SHO’s life

SRINAGAR, Jan 24 (PTI) — A day after the extension of the ceasefire by another month in Jammu and Kashmir, a police officer was killed today in a powerful bomb blast set off by militants in the state where six more persons were killed and one person was abducted in separate incidents.

The militants blew up an improvised explosive device inside a public urinal on high-security Boulverad Road on the banks of Dal Lake at around 9.45 a.m. killing the SHO of the Ram Munshibagh police station, Ghulam Hassan Naaz, an official spokesman said.

The driver and four guards of the police officer had a narrow escape, he said, adding that the blast shattered windscreens of several hotels.

The blast occurred close to the road leading to Raj Bhavan. So far no militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Two persons were killed and another person was seriously injured in an exchange of fire between militants and security forces at Dubri in Jammu region’s Udhampur district.

The spokesman said a civilian was killed in another gunbattle at Daduhal in Kupwara district. Some arms and ammunition were recovered from the scene.

Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen ultras shot dead a person near Nowpora crossing in downtown Srinagar this afternoon.

The spokesman said militants shot dead Mohinder Kumar inside his house at Kulhand in Doda district while the body of an unidentified person was found in the Kunzar area in Baramula.

A woman was wounded when she was caught in a crossfire between militants and security forces at Kotli Kalaban village in Rajouri district.

Ultras abducted Mohammad Shafi Ganai from the Kulhand area in Doda district, the spokesman said.

He said an improvised explosive device, planted by militants, in the Pattan area in Baramula district went off last night but no one was hurt.