15 injured, 100 kg explosive recovered, one ultra surrender in J

Srinagar, Jan 22 (UNI) In a major success ahead of Republic Day (RD) security forces foiled militants plan to carry out blasts in the city when they unearthed three hideouts and recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition including 100 kg of explosives.

Elsewhere in the Jammu and Kashmir, 15 persons were injured in a grenade blast and a militant was arrested, and another surrendered during the past 24 hours.

An official spokesman said security forces and Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police launched a joint operation at Khimber under Zakura police station on the city outskirts today.

He said after a long search of the area, security forces busted the hideout and recovered 100 kg of explosives, two ak magzines, two antennas of wireless sets, three UBGL shells, one seal and letter of Al-Badr outfit. However, no one was arrested.

The explosive recovered was enough to make more than 15 bombs to cause disturbances before and during RD celebrations in the city.

Official sources said militants hurled a hand grenade towards a security force convoy at Pattan on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road.

However, it missed the intended target and exploded on the road causing injuries to 14 people. The injured were admitted to different hospitals.

They said security forces, ahead of Republic Day (RD), launched search operations in different parts of the valley to foil any militant attempt to cause disturbances.

Sources said during a search operation in a village at Kupwara in north Kashmir troops unearthed a hideout and recovered 20 detonators, two hand grenades and one wireless set.

Militants shot at and wounded a Special Police Officer (SPO) Babu Ram at Dud Dhar in Doda district of Jammu region.

Troops also arrested an Upper Ground Worker (UGW) of Pakistan based Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) Javid Ahmad in the same area.

They said troops smashed a hideout in the cowshed of Zulfqaruddin at Ajas in Bandipora area of north Kashmir district of Baramulla during a search operation last night.

A large cache of arms and ammunition and about three kg explosives and a dozen batteries were recovered from the hideout.

However, no one was arrested.

A militant surrendered alongwith arms and ammunition before troops at Watlab in north Kashmir last night.

UNI