M A I N   N E W S

Mosque siege ends
Holed-up militant shot dead
Tribune News Service and PTI

Srinagar, March 28
Army sharp-shooters today shot dead a Hizb-ul Mujahideen militant, who had taken refuge in a mosque, ending a six-hour siege of the complex without causing any damage to it, defence sources here said.

The militant, Mohammad Mudasir alias ‘Umar’ of Chatbug village, took shelter in the mosque at Redbug village following an exchange of fire with a joint search party of the Army and the police at around 8.30 am, the sources said.

The militant refused to surrender despite repeated appeals by the security forces and instead continued intermittent firing on the troops surrounding the place of worship, they said.

An AK assault rifle, three magazines, 58 rounds, one under-barrelled grenade launcher and a wireless set were seized, the sources said.

They said the mosque suffered no damage during the standoff which lasted for nearly six hours.

The Security forces had cordoned off Redbug village alongwith Boni-Makhama and Ratsuna in the wee hours following a tip off about the presence of militants in the area, the sources said.

As the troops were carrying out house-to-house searches, militants fired at the security forces, the sources said.

Elsewhere, at least six militants and three others have been killed in separate incidents while five suspected persons were apprehended in the Kashmir valley since yesterday.

Suspected militants shot dead two bus passengers at Kralkhud near Lal Chowk here this afternoon. One of them, Nisar Ahmad Khan, an employee of the PDD, died on spot while another, Showkat Ahmad Ali Mir died while being shifted to a hospital.

Four militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces in the Qazigund area of Anantnag district today, the police here said.

A civilian, Abdul Rahman Dar was killed in an encounter between militants and the security forces near Lamand Road near Qazigund in Anantnag district last night. The police here said militants, who later escaped opened fire on an ambush party.

Two militants were killed in separate encounters with security forces in Kupwara district of north Kashmir yesterday. One of them, Mir Gujjar, alias Shaheen, of Al-Badre outfit was killed at Lashtiyal, Lalaroos. Another unidentified militant was killed in Dareshpora forest of the Handwara area, police said.