2 ultras, civilian killed, soldier injured in Kashmir encounters

SRINAGAR: Two militants and a civilian were killed while two others, including a soldier, injured in separate gunfights in Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Tuesday.

A police spokesman said a cordon and search operation was launched on Monday evening in the Pandoshan area of Shopian following information about the presence of terrorists there. As the search party was establishing the cordon around the area, the hiding terrorists started indiscriminate firing on it. The security forces exercised maximum restraint to save and evacuate the civilians present in the area.

“However, during the evacuation process, the hiding terrorists targeted the civilians as well as the security forces to escape. Although the civilians were evacuated to a safety, due to heavy firing by terrorists, Lance Naik Sanjib Das and two civilians —Shahid Gani Dar and Suhaib Ahmad — received gunshot injuries,” he said.

The injured were airlifted to Army’s 92 Base Hospital in Srinagar. However, the civilian, Shahid Gani Dar, succumbed.

Taking advantage of the darkness and the civilian presence, the terrorists fled but efforts are on to locate them, he said.

It has been observed in some encounters recently in Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag districts that Pakistani terrorists start firing on civilians and security men to escape, said Vijay Kumar, the IGP Kashmir. A gunfight also broke out in Kreeri in Dooru area of Anantnag. In the exchange of fire, two militants were killed. IGP Kumar said with the killing of the two ultras, an imminent threat to the Srinagar-Jammu national highway and the Amarnath Yatra has been neutralised.

4 ‘hybrid’ militants arrested

Security forces on Tuesday arrested four ‘hybrid’ militants of Lashkar-e-Tayyeba in Srinagar. Also, two militant associates of the LeT were arrested in the Awantipora area of Pulwama district.

“In Srinagar, acting on a specific tip-off about the presence of terrorists in the general area of Bemina, a checkpoint was laid by security forces at Bemina Crossing,” a police spokesman said. Tawoos Rasool Gada and Saleem Jan Bhat, residents of Usmanabad opposite Degree College Bemina, approaching the checkpoint suspiciously were challenged, they tried to flee. However, they were held, he said.

BSF foils smuggling attempt through Pakistani drone

The BSF troops on Tuesday foiled another smuggling attempt through a Pakistani drone, said BSF Punjab Frontier. Vigilant BSF troops fired at the drone coming from Pakistan and brought it down. The drone was carrying nine packets, added the BSF.

Pak returns body of Indian boy

Pakistani authorities on Tuesday handed over the body of a 12-yearold Indian boy who drowned in a river in his home town in Poonch district of J&K last week and swept away across the LoC by the strong current, officials said.

Zamin Rasool, a resident of Surankote, drowned while taking a bath in Pulas river near S K Bridge on May 3 and his body could not be traced by the rescue parties.

ITBP first to induct batch of women canine squad handlers

Border guarding force ITBP has decided to induct a batch of eight women personnel the first among the central paramilitary forces to be trained as handlers for canine squads deployed in various security theatres, including anti-Naxal operations.

Dog handlers in the central armed police forces are an all-male domain right now.

Contributions of veterans, serving soldiers lauded

Northern Army commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi lauded the efforts and heroism of war veterans in forcing the Pakistan to retreat back from the Akhnoor sector during the 1965 and 1971 wars.