Three securitymen among five killed, scores wounded in J

Srinagar, Sep 27 (UNI) Three security personnel including two police men and two ultras were killed and scores wounded in separate militancy-related incidents across Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours, an official spokesman said today.

Security forces also busted two hideouts and arrested an ultra across the state overnight.

He said militants shot at and critically wounded an Assistant Sub-Inspector of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Abdul Ghani, at busy Hari Singh High Street here today. He later succumbed to injuries at the multi-speciality Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura here.

Gani, who was on special secretariat duty, had received a bullet wound in the head as he was fired at from a very close range.

The spokesman said two militants were killed in an encounter with security forces at Sumlar in Bandipora area of north Kashmir's Baramulla district last evening. A security personnel was also killed besides two houses and as many shops were damaged in the gun-battle that raged for several hours, he added.

Militants hurled a hand grenade towards a police party at Akhara Building at Badshah Chowk here which exploded causing injuries to ten police personnel, one CRPF jawan and three civilians. They were hospitalised, the spokesman said.

The spokesman said militants shot at a selection grade constable Ghulam Mohammad Malik twice in the head point blank at Bohri Kadal in the downtown area of the city.

Malik, who was working as a Personal Security Officer (PSO) with a sales tax officer, died on way to a hospital.

A caller, who identified himself as a spokesman of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), said militants of his group killed two security personnel in the city.

Traffic on the busy route leading to civil secretariat and other important offices went off the roads and pedestrians and shopkeepers ran for safety. Later, searches were conducted in the area by the security forces. However, the militants managed to escape.

The spokesman said an IED blast took place at Tippri, Gandoh in Doda district of Jammu region in which three people, including two SPOs, sustained injuries.

During the subsequent search of the area by the police and security forces, two IEDs fitted in pressure cookers having a capacity of five kg each were seized, which were later defused.

This was the second major X X X Eds here picking up from para four of DR 49 (INSURGENCY-ROUNDUP-KASHMIR TWO SRINAGAR).

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