Two ultras, jawan among 5 killed; 38 wounded in J

Srinagar, Oct 28 (UNI) Two militants and a security personnel were among the five people killed while 38 others, mostly civilians, wounded in separate incidents across Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours, an official spokesman said today.

Elsewhere in the state, security forces apprehended two militants and seized a large cache of arms and ammunition overnight.

The spokesman said militants lobbed a hand grenade towards a Maruti Gypsy belonging to the BSF's 45 battalion at the Sopore main chowk at around 1245 hrs. The battalion is headquartered at Sopore.

The grenade hit the vehicle resulting in injuries to 32 civilians and four BSF personnel, he added.

The spokesman said the wounded were shifted to various hospitals where the condition of many of them was stated to be critical.

One civilian, Khazir Mohammad, who was rushed to the SMHS hospital here later succumbed to injuries, he added.

Security forces immediately cordoned off the entire area and launched a search operation to apprehend the ultras.

No militant outfit has so far claimed the responsibility for the grenade attack.

The spokesman said 14-year-old Mudassir Ahmad Sheikh kicked some suspicious object lying on a road near the Ganderbal bridge today which exploded causing injuries to him. He was rushed to the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura.

Militants hurled a hand grenade on a vehicle of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF) of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at Jamslan Morah Bhaga in Udhampur district of Jammu region last evening.

However, the grenade missed the intended target and exploded on the roadside, killing Shareefa Bano on the spot and wounding Dhani Ram who was hospitalised, he added.

The spokesman said an encounter took place between militants and security forces at Kasblari under the Mendhar police station in Poonch district of Jammu region last evening during which two ultras were killed. Two AK rifles, seven magazines and two hand grenades were seized from the slain militants, he added.

One security personnel was also wounded in the gun-battle who later succumbed in the hospital, the spokesman said.

Security forces apprehended two militants in Badgam and Bun Doda and seized two AK magazines, 58 rounds, 2 UBGL grenades, two hand grenades, one pistol, one magazine and six rounds from them.

Security forces and the police, during a joint operation, at Khanetar Top in Poonch district seized one AK magazine, 200 rounds, six Pika rounds, 13 pistol rounds, 65 detonators, seven hand grenades, one wireless antenna, two rocket shells and two IEDs.

The spokesman said police also seized one pistol, one magazine, six pistol rounds, 708 rounds of AK ammunition, five kg RDX and one wireless set from Khadam forest in Rajouri distric of Jammu region last evening.

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