3 members of a family, 2 Jaish militants killed, 25 injured in J

Srinagar, Aug 11 (UNI) In stepped-up violence just ahead of Independence Day, militants killed three members of a family and injured 25 others while security forces gunned down three ultras of Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and arrested two others in the Jammu and Kashmir overnight.

People at vilage Trech in Pulwama distict of South Kashmir overpowered one of the three masked armed men who entered the house of one Shabir Ahmad Bhat and looted cash and a mobile phone last night. He was handed over to police.

Deputy Inspector General of police (Udhampur and Doda range) L T Mohanty told mediapersons at Jammu today that militants of Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) struck at the house of one Ram Singh in Hara village of Gool tehsil at around midnight and killed his wife Sumitra Devi (40), daughter Meena (14) and son Neelam(10).

Mr Mohanty said this was the only Hindu family in the Muslim dominated area.

Singh was not at home when the incident occurred, he added.

Mr Mohanty said that Singh had been earlier advised by the Special Task Force to shift to some safer place or join the Village Defence Committee but he did not agree.

A massive hunt to nab the accused was on, he added.

At least 25 persons were injured in two hand grenade blasts in north Kashmir today, official sources said.

They said militants hurled a hand grenade towards a security force vehicle at main chowk, Sopore, this afternoon at 1615 hours.

However, it missed the intended target and exploded on the roadside causing injuries to 20 persons. The injured were admitted to different hospitals where the condition of some of them is stated to be critical.

Official sources said militants hurled a hand grenade toward the shop of Mohammad Maqbool Mir which exploded causing injuries to five persons, including the shop owner.

An official spokesman said security forces gunned down two militants of JeM Abu Atish and Mohammad Mushtaq alias Billa at Chajjila Mohalla in Poonch district of Jammu region last night. Two AK rifles, one hand grenade and two detonators were recovered from the slain militants.

Security forces arrested one militant each at Nowgam and Balgarden alongwith arms and ammunition here while a hideout was busted at Basantgarh in Udhampur.

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