J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Police officer's house attacked
SRINAGAR, March 20 — Militants launched a grenade attack on a police officer's house, triggered two blasts and engaged security forces in armed clashes which left three people, including two militants, dead and five others wounded in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, official sources said here.

Mirwaiz placed under house arrest
SRINAGAR, March 20 — Acting chairman of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umer Farooq was placed under house arrest this morning as authorities launched a massive crackdown on secessionist leaders in Kashmir, official sources said today.

Police officer's house attacked

SRINAGAR, March 20 (PTI) — Militants launched a grenade attack on a police officer's house, triggered two blasts and engaged security forces in armed clashes which left three people, including two militants, dead and five others wounded in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, official sources said here.

Security forces smashed four militant hideouts and seized a big cache of arms and ammunition in the state, an official spokesman said.

He said the residential house of the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Sadder and Kothibagh police stations, Mr Aijaz Ahmad khan, here was targeted by militants who fired two rifle grenades at it this morning.

The grenades, apparently fired from a moving vehicle around 0730 hours today, missed the intended target and exploded few metres away from the house. The officer was not in the house at the time of the attack, the spokesman said.

He said one of the grenades hit the tree outside the house and another exploded on the road-side, without causing any damage.

The Border Security Force (BSF) immediately sealed the entire area but failed to track down the militants involved in the attack, the spokesman said.

This was the second incident of its type in Srinagar within three days. Earlier on Saturday, militants fired rifle grenades on the heavily-guarded Doordarshan Kendra in the city. The grenades fell short of the target and caused no damage.

Mirwaiz placed under house arrest

SRINAGAR, March 20 (PTI) — Acting chairman of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umer Farooq was placed under house arrest this morning as authorities launched a massive crackdown on secessionist leaders in Kashmir, official sources said today.

They said the step was taken to prevent Mirwaiz from proceeding to Delhi for attempting to meet us president Bill Clinton.

Police jawans and paramilitary forces, who laid a siege around Mirwaiz's Nageen residence, hours before his departure to Delhi, have been directed not to allow him step out of his house till Clinton's stay in New Delhi, the sources said,

Hurriyat headquarters at Rajbagh here was also cordoned last evening and searches conducted but no one was arrested. Policemen continue to remain deployed outside the headquarters today, the sources said.

Mirwaiz termed the move as an act of "utter frustration".

He told PTI on the phone that he was optimistic about meeting the US President. "We have been gifdn to understand that Hurriyat leaders would be among the invitees to the reception US embassy would be holding in honour of the visiting US president," he said.

Mirwaiz's house arrest follows the arrest of president of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) Shabir Ahmad Shah and his 37 followers during the past two days.

Shah, along with his 10 associates, continues to be lodged at the Kothibagh police station while the rest 26 were let off last evening, the sources said.