Srinagar, January 2
Militants today set off a series of powerful grenade explosions in the vicinity of heavily-guarded Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, killing a policeman and injuring 22, mostly security men, three months after the attack on the legislature building.
Two grenades were lobbed at busy Jehangir Chowk, at a stone’s throw from the main gate of the Assembly while another grenade was targeted at a BSF picket at nearby Magermalbagh, official sources said.
Three station house officers of Maisuma, Shergari and Shaheedgunj police stations were among five police Inspectors wounded in the attacks.
They were admitted to hospitals where their condition was described as stable.
The sources said all three grenade attacks were carried out in a span of 35 minutes causing panic in the business hub of the city.
Meanwhile, a report from Jammu said militants attacked the house of a National Conference leader and a security force camp in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir where 17 militants were among 20 persons killed in separate incidents since last night, official sources said here today.
Security forces achieved a major success when in anti-insurgency operations nine militants were killed at Krali and Phagla villages in Rajouri district today.
Defence Ministry sources said in the Krali operation three militants were killed while six militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Phagla.
All nine are said to be activists of the Lashkar-e-Toiba. Large quantities of arms and ammunition have been recovered from the slain militants.
A group of heavily armed militants opened indiscriminate fire on the house of former Congress minister and NC leader Chowdhary Talib Hussain in Fatehpur in the Thanamandi area of Rajouri district last night, the sources said.
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Mr Hussain’s residence returned the fire and the exchange of fire lasted about an hour following which the militants fled, the sources said.Mr Hussain and his family were not in their house and were in Rajouri town at the time of the attack, the sources said, adding that no one was injured in the exchange of fire.
This is the second attack on the National Conference leader’s house in the past one week. On December 26 militants attacked his house and took away weapons of eight guards.
Militants also attacked a security force camp near the Thanamandi area last night, the sources said, adding that an exchange of fire lasted about half an hour following which the militants escaped.
Elsewhere, top Hizbul Mujahideen militant Nazir Ahmad, alias Nasir, and his bodyguard were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Kulgam area of Anantnag. Another Hizbul militant was killed in an exchange of fire in the Handwara area of Kupwara.
Two militants were killed while one escaped during an encounter with security personnel in the Sabzian area of Poonch, the sources said.
Unidentified militants shot dead a woman in her house in the Bandipora area of Baramula while a man was killed in the Jamola area of Rajouri, they said.
