Two BSF men wounded in border firing, employee killed in J

Jammu/Srinagar, Jan 17 (UNI) Two BSF personnel were wounded in cross border firing while gunmen killed a government employee in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours, an official spokesman said today.

A Border Security Force (BSF) spokesman said in Jammu that Pakistani Rangers opened fire on Indian troops in order to push nearly a dozen militants into this side at Pargwal in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu district early today.

He said the Pakistani Rangers started firing on the BSF posts at 0240 hrs to facilitate the infiltration bid.

The spokesman said the BSF also retaliated and in the ensuing gunfight, sub inspector Avinash Chandra and jawan Hridesh Kumar were critically wounded. They were shifted to an Army Hospital in Jammu.

The official spokesman here said unidentified gunmen shot at and critically wounded Mohammad Shafi Lone, an employee of the Power Development Department, at main market Wagoora in Baramulla district of north Kashmir last evening.

Twenty-eight-year-old Lone, a resident of Kreeri, was immediately rushed to a hospital, but succumbed to his injuries on the way.

The spokesman said security forces seized two kg of explosives, six UBGL grenades, two hand grenades, one AK rifle, five blankets, five detonators, 234 rounds from three different militant hideouts in Baramulla, Doda and Poonch districts of the state.

Meanwhile, a fierce gun-battle has erupted between militants and security forces in Kulgam area of south Kashmir this evening.

Personnel of the Army, police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), on specific information, launched a joint operation at Owgam in Kulgam area of Anantnag district this afternoon.

Police said that as the security forces were searching the area, militants fired upon them with automatic weapons which was retaliated, leading to a fierce gun-battle.

UNI