Srinagar, June 1
At least seven persons, including four militants, have been killed in separate incidents in the Kashmir valley since yesterday.

Whereas 16 Army personnel were injured when suspected militants detonated a powerful IED on their bus here today morning.

The local police said 16 Army jawans were injured and their bus damaged in an IED blast at Rajbagh Ghat near Presentation Convent School at 7 am today.

The explosion took place when the Army convoy was on its way from Haft Chinar to the Badami Bagh Cantonment.

Acting on specific information, the police and 55 RR launched a joint operation, and killed the two militants. They have been identified as Ashiq Hussain Bhat of Wachi, Pulwama, and Javeed Ahmad Bhat of D H Pora, Shopian.

One AK 47 rifle, one pistol, one UBGL, nine UBGL rounds and 153 AK rounds have been recovered from the site of encounter.

Jammu, June 1
Registration of pilgrims for the forthcoming Amarnath pilgrimage in South Kashmir started here today under heavy security cover.

Jammu and Kashmir Bank has opened a special counter in the exhibition ground for this purpose. Its branches, throughout the country, have been assigned the task of registering pilgrims.

A large number of devotees queued up outside the bank’s counter for obtaining the registration slips. Chief executive officer of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board and secretary to the Governor, Arun Kumar, said the bank had been asked to register 3 lakh pilgrims.

The board would start doing on-the-spot registration in case the weather permits. He said the two-month long pilgrimage would begin on June 30 and culminate on August 28.

Arun Kumar said not more than 5,000 pilgrims per day would be allowed to proceed to the cave shrine from the two routes-Pahalgam and Baltal.

Udhampur, June 1
The killing of DSP Shailey Singh at Bhaderwah and subsequent escape of militants from the security forces cordon once again has exposed the terrorist-police nexus in the state.

Udhana, where a DSP was killed by militants, is considered the “safest area” in the entire Doda district and militants’ escape from there has raised numerous questions.

A few senior police officers admitted that the brave officer was trapped with the help of insiders, who were passing information about his movements to divisional commander of Laskher-e-Toiba Abu Umar.

It was also due this information that the terrorists selectively killed Shailey Singh while 16 other cops, who were accompanying him, did not sustain even minor injuries.

Meanwhile, smelling a foul play in the killing, various political parties have been demanding a thorough probe into the incident to expose the “black-sheep” in the police department.