Woman,3 ultras killed and 37 wounded in J and K

Srinagar, Apr 28 (UNI) A woman, and three militants of Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) were killed and 37 others wounded in the Jammu and Kashmir overnight, an official spokesman said this evening.

He said militants hurled a hand grenade at crowded Drangbal, Pampore, about 14 km from here, in the south Kashmir district of Pulwama.

It exploded on the roadside causing on the spot death of one Fareeda, a resident of Tral. Unconfirmed reports said her son also died on the way to hospital.

He said 19 others were injured in the blast.

Official sources said at least 36 others, including women, children and aged persons, were wounded in the blast. The condition of five of the injured is stated to be critical.

The injured were admitted to the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences at Soura, Bone and Joint hospital at Barzulla and SMHS.

A UNI correspondent was told by an eyewitness that the vehicle carrying the employees of the state government from winter capital Jammu to summer capital Srinagar had crossed the area about half an hour earlier.

They said the target was workers of a political party who were returning after attending a rally here. However, this was not confirmed officially. The civil secretariat, seat of the government, and other Darbar Move offices were closed at Jammu yesterday and will reopen here on May 7. Yesterday, security forces averted a major tragedy when they detected and defused a 10-kg powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by militants beneath a culvert to target a security force convoy.

Spokesman said one Adil Jan was injured in a grenade blast at Jan Mohalla in Bandipora district last night. He was hospitalised.

He said an encounter ensued after security forces launched a search operation at Chowkhilla Panjan in Doda district of Jammu region this morning.

During the encounter three militants of LeT were killed. Two AK assault rifles, one 303 rifle, one magzine and 40 rounds were recovered from the slain militants who were identified as as Mubarak Ali and Abu Hamza. The third militant could not be identified, he said.

UNI