Srinagar, September 6
Eight persons were killed and 37 injured, including six Army personnel, one of them a Brigadier, when an IED planted by suspected militants in a car was detonated at Fruit Mandi here this morning. Several vehicles were also damaged in the explosion aimed at an Army convoy on the bypass road on the outskirts of Srinagar city.

Elsewhere, two militants and a civilian were killed and two security men injured in separate incidents in the Kashmir valley since yesterday.

The police also averted a major tragedy by the timely detection of an IED planted by suspected militants near a culvert at Chursoo, about 35 km from here on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway this morning. Two persons were killed, 16 injured and several vehicles were damaged when an IED planted by suspected militants was detonated on the culvert on Tuesday.

A police spokesman confirmed on the spot death of six persons and injuries to 31 others in the IED explosion on the bypass road at Fruit Mandi. The IED planted by suspected militants, in an Ambassador car parked nearby, was detonated when an Army convoy was passing by at about 9-45 a.m. on the bypass road at Fruit Mandi, reports here said.

The Army personnel injured in the incident included a Brigadier, a Captain and four jawans. They have been shifted to the Army hospital here, where their condition is stated to be out of danger. The car carrying the Brigadier and several other vehicles were also damaged in the explosion.

Six civilians killed in the incident were identified as Mohammad Ayub Kharoo, Mohammad Ramzan Dar, Javed Iqbal, Ajaz Ahmad Bilal Ahmad Malik and Samad Sheikh.

Two militants, Khursheed Ahmad and Abdul Rehman Deeda were killed and two security personnel were injured in an encounter in the Keller area of Pulwama district yesterday, the police here said.

Unidentified militants shot dead Mohammad Ismail, alias Ismail Gadda, after Friday prayers at Kulgam in Anantnag district yesterday.

Suspected militants fitted an IED in a milk van near Shopian in Pulwama district yesterday after beating up the driver and two inmates. They had been directed to enter the security force camp with the IED-fitted vehicle, a police spokesman here said. He added that the driver of the vehicle informed the security forces about the IED that was later defused, causing damage to the vehicle.

Three Army men including an officer were injured in an encounter with militants at Hardav Chanam in Kupwara district late this afternoon. Acting on a tip-of a joint operation of the police and the Army was launched to flush out the militants. The party was fired upon by the hiding militants, which ensued the encounter. Till the last reports came in, the encounter was on and further details were awaited.