M A I N   N E W S

1 killed, 12 hurt in Srinagar blast

Srinagar, November 27
An Assistant Sub-Inspector and five militants were among eight persons killed while 14 others were wounded in Jammu and Kashmir overnight.

Official sources said militants hurled a hand grenade towards a Border Security Force (BSF) patrol at the crowded Amira Kadal, near the city nerve Centre Lal Chowk, at 12.30 p.m. today.

The grenade missed the target and exploded near a shop, injuring 13 persons, including a shopkeeper from Delhi and his assistant from Amritsar, Ranbir Singh.

Sources said the injured were admitted to different hospitals where Ranbir Singh succumbed to his injuries.

Senior police and BSF officials visited the spot.

Traffic on the main road was disrupted for an hour.

Meanwhile, sources said militants shot dead ASI Shamas-ud-Din Shah at Beerwah in the central Kashmir district of Badgam late last night.

Militants also shot dead a former special police officer Riyaz at Kulgam in South Kashmir, while a civilian was shot at and critically wounded at Lolab in North Kashmir.

The security forces also shot dead a militant at Sogam in North Kashmir last night.

In another incident, an encounter took place at Gool during a search operation late last night.

Four militants were killed in the fierce gun battle, sources said, and added four assault rifles and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants. — UNI