J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

2 killed in Srinagar blast
SRINAGAR, Feb 4 — At least eight persons, including three militants and an Army jawan, were killed while eight others were injured in separate incidents of militancy in Kashmir since last evening.

Pak shelling continues
BARAMULLA, Feb 4 — Pakistan today continued to target civilian and security forces installations in Keran, Karnah, Teetwal and Machil sectors with mortar and artillery fire, official sources said.

2 killed in Srinagar blast
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Feb 4 — At least eight persons, including three militants and an Army jawan, were killed while eight others were injured in separate incidents of militancy in Kashmir since last evening.

Three militants and an Army jawan were killed in a 24-hour long gunbattle in Repora village in the Chadoora area of Badgam district.

The operation which started last evening, was over this evening. Two civilians and three Army jawans were injured, police sources here said. One of the Army jawans was seriously wounded. A few residential houses were also gutted in the exchange of fire between the militants and security forces.

The identity of the militants was yet to be ascertained. Police sources said the encounter started in Repora village near Chadoora last evening, when the hiding militants opened fire on a patrol party at about 6 p.m. Security forces returned the fire. Reinforcement was sent to the site. There were reports that up to eight militants were hiding in the village. Some of them were reported to have escaped by “setting afire the residential house”.

Two civilians were killed and seven others, four of them security force personnel, were injured when a landmine took off at Tang Bagh in the Idgah area here this morning. The Maruti car in which the two brothers were travelling was hit by the IED leading to the death of Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat on the spot. His brother later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital, the police said.

Tension gripped the area following the death of the two brothers and heavy damaged to the Maruti car in which they were travelling. The police said militants caused the explosion with the help of a remote control device.

In another incident in the same area, militants hurled a grenade on vehicle of Ganderbal police station this afternoon. However, no damage was caused.

Pak shelling continues

BARAMULLA, Feb 4 (UNI) — Pakistan today continued to target civilian and security forces installations in Keran, Karnah, Teetwal and Machil sectors with mortar and artillery fire, official sources said.

While the shelling in Keran and Karnah has been going on for the past two days, it began early this morning in Machil and Teetwal sectors, the sources told UNI.

Some civilians have migrated to safer places because of the shelling, they said and added that it was ‘unprovoked’.

More than 200 persons have been killed and scores injured in Pakistani shelling in the northern sector during the past three years.

The latest shelling was going on when reports last came in.