tribuneindia... Jammu and Kashmir

J A M M U C
& CK A S H M I R

Sunday, February 14, 1999

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2 militants killed in encounter
Tribune News Service and PTI

JAMMU, Feb 13 — Two militants were killed and six others, including three army jawans, were injured in a fierce encounter at Chatroo in Doda district today.

Reports reaching here said on a specific information troops cordoned off a militant hideout.

As the troops neared the house they came under heavy fire in which three soldiers were wounded. The jawans retaliated and two militants were killed on the spot. Three others were injured. Five other militants, hiding in the house, escaped.

With the killing of two militants in today’s encounter the total number of insurgents, most of them foreign mercenaries, killed in Poonch, Rajouri and Doda districts in the past 10 days has risen to 23. This includes the killing of Mohd Gujjar, who had masterminded the Chamba massacre in which 35 labourers were killed.

In the offensive launched by the security forces five army jawans besides a Major, one constable and a village defence committee member lost their lives.

According to the IGP militants in the Poonch and Rajouri sectors were on the run and most of them were trying to cross over to Pakistan. He said among the 10 militants killed in Poonch and Rajouri districts in recent days six were gunned down while trying to cross the Line of Actual Control indicating that the insurgents had buckled under the pressure mounted by the security forces.

He explained that yesterday’s incident at Mandhar in Poonch district in which two top militants belonging to the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen outfit were killed was the result of an operation launched by the police. He said the police had not sought any help from either the Army or the BSF and in the encounter was killed and two others were injured.

SRINAGAR: Securitymen apprehended a militant and seized 1000 rounds of ammunition and two hand grenades from Dally village in Jammu during the period, official sources said here today.

Two militants and a special police officer (SPO) were killed and three police jawans injured during an encounter at Karni village of Poonch district yesterday, they said.

In a separate incident, a SPO allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree at Ramsu in Doda district.

Two Pakistan-trained militants were killed in two separate encounters with the security forces in Kupwara and Gund Ashun in Baramula district of north Kashmir.

Saifuddin alias Jamaal, arrested from Gagloosa in Kupwara today, was shot dead by the security forces when he tried to escape, the spokesman said.

However, residents alleged that Saifuddin was killed in custody and held a noisy demonstration.