7 killed,5 injured in J

Srinagar, Sep 25 (UNI) A grenade blast and selective killings on the first day of the holy month of Ramzan left seven persons, including a women constable and a numberdar dead and five others wounded in the Jammu and Kashmir.

Suspected militants struck in the heart of the city at crowded Naaz crossing near Maharaj Bazar when they hurled a hand at a vehicle of police station Rambagh at 1330 hours.

Official sources said the grenade exploded inside the Maruti Gypsy of the women police station, resulting in the death of a woman constable, Gulshan, a resident of Ganderbal on the city outskirts.

Another woman constable, Shafia, two male police personnel, a civilian and driver of the vehicle were critically wounded in the attack. They have been hospitalised.

The sources said the entire area has been cordoned off and searches launched to trace the suspected ultras.

However, no one was arrested, they said, adding traffic was restored in the area after an hour. However, a majority of shopkeepers closed their shops after the incident.

Official sources said militants shot at and wounded a numberdar Nazir Ahmad at Zainpora, Shopian, in south Kashmir district of Anantnag late last night. He was admitted to hospital where he died.

Militants kidnapped and later killed one Mohammad Ashraf Khan at Cahtergul, in Anantnag district.

The sources said unidentified gunmen entered the houses of a 60-year-old Jan Begaum and Abdul Hamid at Udhampur and shot them dead late last night while one Mohammad Rafiq was killed at Gandoo, Doda early this morning.

Sources said militants also killed one Mohammad Ashraf at Marmath Doda last night.

Security forces today averted a major tragedy when they detected and defused a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) on the Baramulla-Babareshi road.

Official sources said a security force patrol noticed a box on the busy road this morning.

Traffic was immediately stopped and a bomb disposal squad was summoned. Later, the IED was defused.

UNI AG VD VV1652