M A I N   N E W S

Six Pak militants shot

Jammu, April 28
Six Pakistani militants were shot dead today by army troops in Doda and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said.

Acting on specific information, army troops cordoned off the Gandoh forest area in Doda district early today and launched a search operation to track down militants, who were hiding in a cave.

During the search, militants fired on security forces who retaliated, resulting in an encounter, the sources said, adding that three Pakistani militants belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba were killed and three rifles, one pistol, nine hand grenades and a wireless set were recovered.

In another encounter in the Surankot forest belt in Poonch district, troops shot dead three more Pakistani militants this morning and recovered four rifles, seven hand grenades, one rocket and a radio set from them.

In another incident, a patrol party observed movement of militants in Panjai forest in Rajouri district, and when the ultras were challenged, a brief exchange of firing ensued after which the ultras fled, leaving behind two boys whom they had been attempting to kidnap.

The rescued boys, Mohammad Altaf (13) and Maqdool Hussain (14), later told army officials that they were being forcibly taken to Pakistan occupied Kashmir for arms training.

Meanwhile, about 12 terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Toiba attacked security guards at the shrine of Shahdara Sahrief in Rajouri district last night.

Reports said the encounter between the police and the terrorists continued for about an hour.

The terrorists had apparently come there to target the personnel of the India Reserve Police, who are deployed for guarding the shrine.

This is the second time that the shrine has been targeted by the Pakistan-trained terrorists.

SRINAGAR: One person was killed and another injured as militants opened fire and lobbed grenades on an army camp and triggered an IED explosion in Kashmir valley on Monday, official sources said.

A civilian Mohammad Shafi Malik died instantly and another person Mehraj-ud-Din sustained bullet injuries when security forces allegedly opened fire on observing suspicious movement during patrolling at Danev-Kandimarg in Anantnag district of south Kashmir in the wee hours today, the sources said.

Militants opened fire and lobbed grenades on an army camp at Dooniwari in the Lolab area of Kupwara district, but none was hurt the sources said, adding that security personnel fired in retaliation but the ultras fled away without any casualty.

A live grenade was noticed near the camp this morning which was later defused by the police, the sources said.

The sources said militants set off an IED at Reshipora village in the Shopian area of Pulwama district this morning. However, none was hurt in the blast.

Another IED, planted by militants, was noticed by a road opening party at Kunzer on the Srinagar-Gulmarg road today. Bomb disposal squad personnel left for the scene to neutralise the device, the sources said. TNS and PTI