Fidayeen attack foiled in Kashmir, five ultras arrested

Baramulla, Oct 22 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir Police today claimed to have foiled a fidayeen (suicide) attack by militants in Sopore area of this district in north Kashmir.

Giving details, Superintendent of Police (SP) Kupwara, Vijay Kumar said police arrested a militant, Akhtar Ahmed Khan, in Kupwara town this morning.

On sustained interrogation, he revealed that a group of militants had planned to carry out a fidayeen attack on a security forces' camp in any part of either Baramulla or Kupwara district today.

The SP said Khan further revealed that the militants, about five in number, were moving in a Tata Sumo.

Mr Kumar said acting on his tip off, the Special Operation Group (SOG) personnel and troops of 6 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) intercepted the Tata Sumo at Model Town in Sopore area of this district in the afternoon.

On being challenged, the militants opened fire on the security forces which was retaliated, he added.

The SP said in the ensuing gunfight, one militant, Mohammad Ashraf Lone, was killed while his five other associates were apprehended.

''Thus, we were able to avert a fidayeen attack,'' he claimed.

However, Peoples Democratic party (PDP) zonal president Ghulam Hassan Rather alleged that Lone was his personal security officer (PSO) for the past two years.

Rather said his wife and Lone left for Sopore from his residence at Sheeri, Baramulla this morning to meet ''Ahad Bab'', a spiritual leader. After dropping his wife at the residence of the sufi 'sant', Lone was abducted by few unknown gunmen, he added.

''Since then we don't know his whereabouts. He is not a militant as claimed by police and RR. These allegations are baseless,'' Rather claimed.

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