Srinagar, November 2
Merely three hours before being administered the oath of office as the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, militants lobbed a grenade near the Nowgam residence of Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, injuring one PSO here this morning.
Elsewhere, at least 15 persons, including a defeated candidate of the Congress party in the recent Assembly elections, were killed in separate incidents in the Kashmir valley since yesterday.
Militants also fired at least five rifle grenades towards the Bemina Police Housing Colony here this afternoon. However, no damage was caused in these attacks, which exploded in the air.
The police here said that militants lobbed a grenade near the residence of Mufti Sayeed around 10.15 am today. The grenade exploded on the road, resulting in injuries to one PSO, Mr Mohammad Yaqoob. Eyewitnesses said two rifle grenades were fired from some distance. One exploded in the air and another hit a tree close to the house, causing injuries to the PSO.
A defeated candidate of the Congress, Sikandar Khan, who had unsuccessfully fought the recent Assembly elections from the Karnah constituency in Kupwara district, was shot dead by unidentified militants near Jhelum market at Batamaloo here this afternoon. Two of his PSOs were also shot dead by the assailants, the police said.
In another incident, unidentified militants shot dead a policeman, Abdul Khaliq at Lal Chowk at about 4 p.m. Both the incidents took place around the same time, after the swearing-in ceremony of the new Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers was over.
Four militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Kungam in the Kokernag area of Anantnag district yesterday. Four AK rifles, nine magazines and 116 rounds were seized from the site of the encounter.
Two girls, Marufa (12) and Rifat (10), were killed when an IED went off at Nachayan in the Karnah area of Kupwara district yesterday.
Unidentified militants kidnapped and subsequently shot dead two persons, Hilal Ahmad and Mohammad Yusuf, in the Pattan area of Baramula district last night.
