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Pak shelling in Uri
Tribune News Service and agencies

SRINAGAR, Jan 2 — Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked shelling from across the border in Uri and Karnah sectors since last evening while a ruling National Conference leader was shot at and wounded by militants at Charar-e-Sharief.

Official sources said Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked artillery and mortar shelling from across the border in Karnah and Uri sectors since last evening targeting civilian and security forces installations.

The sources said some of the shells landed at Hajipir village in Uri. However, no one was injured.

A top Pakistan-trained militant involved in an attack on the battalion headquarters of the BSF was killed in an encounter with security forces in North Kashmir last night.Elsewhere in Jammu and Kashmir, militants shot dead a policeman attached with Special Operations Group (SOG) and wounded a block president of the ruling National Conference today, an official spokesman said.Top militant Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh belonging to pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen outfit was killed in an encounter with security forces at Ashtingoo in Bandipora area of Baramula district in north Kashmir last night, the spokesman said.Some arms and ammunition were also recovered from his possession, the spokesman added that Sheikh was one among the ultras who attacked the BSF battalion headquarters at Bandipora on July 13 last year which left four security personnel, including Deputy Inspector-General of the BSF S.K. Chakravorty and a woman dead, he said adding that two militants of Lashker-e-Toiba were also killed in the attack.A Block President of the NC, Mr Mohammad Abdullah, was shot at and injured by militants at Chrar-e-Sharief town in Badgam district of central Kashmir today.This was the first militant strike in Chrar-e-Sharief town since May, 1995.A police spokesman said militants fired at Mohammad Addullah Malik at New Colony, Chrar-e-Sharief when he was coming out of a local mosque after offering morning prayers early today. He was immediately shifted to hospital for treatment, where his condition is stated to be stable. The police has launched a manhunt for apprehending the culprits responsible for the act.The security forces have recovered large quantities of arms and ammunition in Budgam and Pulwama districts during search operations, the spokesman said.