SPO, militant among 3 killed, war like stores recovered in J

Srinagar, Jun 9 (UNI) A Special Police Officer (SPO) and a militant were among three people killed while militants triggered a mine, targeting a security force convoy in Jammu and Kashmir where a hideout was busted and a huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered.

Official sources said the troops of 17 Dogra and Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police launched a joint operation at Kachhama, Kupwara, in north Kashmir early today after receiving information about the presence of militants there.

As the security forces were conducting searches, militants opened fire which was returned, killing a militant. One AK rifle and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militant.

The Body of a SPO, Bilal Ahmad Dar, who was kidnapped by militants recently, was fished out from a river at Bijbehara, about 45 km from here in south Kashmir today morning.

An official spokesman said a bullet- riddled body was recovered from the woods at Pulwama in south Kashmir.

An encounter took place between militants and security forces at Brah Badina near Sangam. One jawan and a civilian were injured in the shootout, he, said adding the militants managed to escape.

A report from Baramulla said militants detonated a powerful IED at Nihalpora, Pattan, on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road when a security force convoy was passing the area at 1245 hours.

However,the blast took place few seconds after the last vehicle passed the area. There was no report of any loss of life or damage to property in the blast, sources added.

Traffic on the highway was suspended for about half a hour.

Security forces later conducted search operation in the nearby localities but militants managed to escape.

He said security forces busted a hideout at Khanter forest in Poonch district of Jammu region and recovered 40 UBGL grenades, two pistols and revolvers, 17 hand grenades,11 IEDs,13 detonators, eight RPG shells, one binocular and more than 500 rounds of ammunition.

However, no one was arrested.

UNI