Tribune News Service and UNIJammu, July 18
Three militants holed up inside a mosque, were killed and six security personnel — a Major, a Captain, a Subedar and three policemen — (11 according to UNI) wounded in an encounter between security forces and rebels in Banihal on the Jammu-Srinagar highway today.
According to the police, a group of militants descended on the town this morning from the nearby hilltop and after sneaking into a couple of houses, near a mosque, opened fire on a security picket. The troops retaliated following which the militants sneaked into the mosque and opened fire from inside.
In the raging gunbattle that followed, three ultras were killed.
The police suspects that the group of militants may have entered the town to target Amarnath pilgrims on the opening day of the month-long pilgrimage, starting from Jammu tomorrow.
Life was paralysed in Banihal town with shops closed due to scare. More than 3,000 buses, trucks and cars were stopped at Ramban, Batote and Qazigund, across the tunnel, forcing more than 5,000 passengers to cool their heels.
The police said the movement of vehicular traffic was stopped with the firing of the first shot by the militants. “We did not want to risk the lives of passengers,” it said.
Reports said the militants wanted to target the security forces that had been deployed in strength in Banihal to prevent militants from executing their threat of disrupting the annual Amarnath Yatra.
Meanwhile, a report from Srinagar said elsewhere in Jammu and Kashmir seven security personnel, including two officers and six militants, were among 17 persons killed while 12 jawans were injured and three suspects arrested since last evening.
Official sources said militants ambushed an Army patrol at Bankote, Bandipora, about 55 km from here, in the north Kashmir district of Baramula early today.
Three soldiers, including a Subedar, were killed on the spot and as many wounded.
The militants managed to escape into the nearby woods.
Militants shot dead Capt Gareeb Singh (retd) in the Midoora area in Pulwama district today. He was working as a security officer in a gas plant at Pampore.
In an encounter at Dhana Lata today, the security forces killed two militants but lost an officer. Four soldiers were also injured in the encounter.
A jawan lost his life when militants attacked a patrol party at Kote Chadwal Kandi sector while another was killed during an encounter with militants at Prankote late last night. Militants entered the house of Bader-ud-din and shot at and wounded him at Sajat today.
The sources said an encounter took place at Damhal Hanjipora in the north Kashmir district of Anantnag this morning in which a self-styled company commander of the Hizb-ul Mujahideen, Bashir Ahmad Dar, was killed. An AK rifle, two magazines and 50 rounds were also recovered.
Three militants were killed in a fierce clash at Alibagh near Sopore in Baramula district last night. A soldier was also killed, while an officer was injured.
Unidentified gunmen shot dead a boy, Abdul Qayoum Parra, at Nihalpora Pattan while the beheaded body of Ajit Kumar Bhagat was recovered at Chinta Road today.
The sources said Abdul Ahad Bhat was shot dead by militants at Urpush while a woman, Rafiqa, was injured in a mine blast at Kigam forest this morning.
The security forces arrested two suspected persons at Chadura in the central Kashmir district of Badgam last night.
